Code Geass: Fate's Curse
by ZLelouch0
Summary: After his "death", Lelouch wakes up, back in the past. He has been given a second chance to correct his past mistakes, but changing the world for the better will be no easy task. After all, fate listens to no man.
1. A Demon with Clipped Wings

**Hey all! Been a while since I did an update (my bad…). Midterms sorta pushed everything to the side. Now my grades are all wack. Until they come back under control, I apologize for now and the near future about infrequent updates. However, please keep in mind that I'm doing this so that I don't have to study over the summer (in other words, more time for updates then, yay!).**

**I plan to update my other stories, but first…**

**I dug this old story up from deep within my computer, having been shoved aside by my main fanfic: Prince of Masks. The writing may need a bit of touching up, but I realized the story idea was actually quite intriguing (to me, at least xD). This'll be like Sin of Truth, where I update it based on (nonexistent) free time and popularity. It'll most likely be (temporarily) replacing CG: Angel or Demon, simply because the latter needs more work before being continued.**

**I just want to say: yes, I do intend to finish all my published stories. I know it may take a while, but CG is my FAVORITE anime. I'm 99.9% sure I won't be writing for any other fandom. I want to keep the CG fanfiction community up as long as possible. I hear it's substantially weakened since its birth (I wasn't here to witness it), and I just want to keep it going as long as possible. I'm just worried that the community will die before all my stories are completed D: If anyone wants to write CG fanfics, I have a pile of ideas that could be given up for adoption xD**

**Anyways, before I show the story, I want to give you a brief understanding of the story. It's kinda a Lelouch-comes-back-to-the-past story. However, I added a little twist to it. Hopefully it balances every character's power sufficiently.**

**Enjoy!**

"for dialogue"

_Italics __for thought_ (or stress when just a word _or two_)

ReStage 1: 

A Demon with Clipped Wings

"Big Brother!"

Out of the corner of his eye, Lelouch vi Britannia saw a young girl clutch his blood-stained robes. _Nunnally_. Lelouch recalled with a small smirk how Rolo had also called him "Big Brother." That is, before he had died.

And now, Lelouch would be joining him.

As he felt his life slip away, so too did his memories. One after another, they flew by in his head, gathering speed. "Yes… I…

"…destroy worlds…" _I not only destroyed worlds; I destroyed trust; I destroyed hopes; I destroyed lives and twisted others for my own needs._

_Nunnally. Kallen. Rolo. Shirley. Urabe. C.C. Euphy. The Black Knights. Clovis. Suzaku._ One by one, now-familiar faces flashed through his vision.

_All of you, please forgive me. All was for the best._

"and… create them anew."

At just that moment, Lelouch recalled a long-ago memory. Suzaku, Nunnally, and himself as kids, laughing happily, despite all the hardships of the war. Back when they had been pure and innocent.

_How had everything ended up like this?_

With that wistful thought, Lelouch closed his eyes, smiling faintly. _I thought I had no regrets..._

Nonetheless, he was a human, and thus he was curious. What had truly led him to this path? Even as he was covered in blissful darkness, even as the pain faded, he wondered. He tried and, to his surprise, succeeded in remembering the day it had all begun.

It had started normal enough. He'd been called to the principal's office, where he'd been scolded by the headmaster for skipping classes. However, that was a repetitive, regular occurrence. Every time, the principal, Mr. Ashford, had tried to act like a fatherly figure, gently scolding him. Every time, Lelouch had sighed and nodded, saying "I'll do my best".

Then he'd gone with Rivalz off campus to play chess.

The next events were a slight blur.

He'd been somehow trapped in a terrorist truck. Then he met Suzaku and C.C.. After gaining geass, he'd guided the terrorists, including Kallen, against the Britannians, and he'd finished the messy conflict by killing Prince Clovis, his own brother. Surely it was this, the Shinjuku Incident, which had started everything.

Then, why did those memories seem so blurry? He felt as if he was seeing everything from far away, through a cloud of white mist that never faded.

Lelouch tried to think harder. For some reason, one memory stayed in his head more than any other. It was when he'd been scolded by Ashford Academy's principal earlier in the day.

However, Lelouch was barely able to focus even on that. The initial darkness which had claimed his life was now claiming his memories, tainting them with a growing darkness. The mist thickened, and even that darkened to a solid black.

And, suddenly, he realized why he could remember that day's meeting with Mr. Ashford so clearly.

The principal's left eye had held a red sigil.

* * *

><p><strong>Ashford Academy<strong>

**Principal Building**

Lelouch awoke with a start. He opened his eyes, only to regret it a moment later as white light seared his sensitive pupils. He flinched as he closed his eyes.

Quickly, his mind reclaimed dictatorship over his body. He lay still, trying to recover and recognize his settings.

He was in a bed of some kind. Slowly opening his eyes, Lelouch sat up and looked over his body. There wasn't a trace of the wound he'd been feeling moments earlier. Not even a scar.

"Oh, so you're awake already?"

Lelouch turned towards the quiet voice. Sitting calmly by a window was an elderly man. "Mr. Ashford?" Then Lelouch took a moment to look around. He was in his room.

_Wait, FLEIA had destroyed my room…_

"You're probably wondering what happened, aren't you?"

Lelouch looked back at the man. Despite being Milly's grandfather, Ruben K. Ashford still grasped onto that mysterious vitality that was particularly rare among the elderly. His blue eyes seemed to twinkle slightly in the daylight.

Noticing his blue eyes, Lelouch recalled what he'd seen before he found himself in bed.

Struggling with a dry throat, he croaked, "G-Geass."

It was both a question and a statement.

"Oh ho," The elderly man smiled, "So you _did_ get to learn about it before you 'died'. Funny, I'd have thought there wouldn't be enough time." He picked up a glass of water and handed it to Lelouch. "How long did it take?"

Lelouch drank down half the glass before speaking, "How long did what take?"

Mr. Ashford smiled sympathetically. "Your death."

For a while, Lelouch was silent. Thinking slowly, he answered, "If you're talking about since you used your… geass, somewhere between two to three years."

Mr. Ashford looked surprised. He turned to lock eyes with Lelouch. "Are you serious?"

Lelouch decided to avoid answering. "Why am I, and this room, still here? What day is it?"

"You're still here because everything you've seen after I used my geass on you hasn't happened, _yet."_ Mr. Ashford managed to calm his surprise quickly and continued, "Right now, it's the day after I called you to my office to scold you."

"So you _did_ use a geass. What is it capable of? How did you get it?"

Mr. Ashford smiled. "So many questions. To answer your first question, my geass shows people their… fate. You saw everything that would have happened up to your death, had I not used my geass on you."

Lelouch thought for a moment before speaking aloud. "…You're saying that Zero hasn't appeared yet?"

"Who's Zero?"

Mr. Ashford seemed pretty interested, but Lelouch decided to ignore the question. "Later, please. Are you saying that everything I've learned from my 'fate' is valid? Geass, Codes, and Ragnorak?"

"Ragnorak? My my, you even got to learn about that stupid idea Marianne and His Majesty had, before you 'died'?"

Again, Lelouch ignored the question. His mind was working to its fullest potential, analyzing his situation to see how it would give him an advantage. Then another question crossed his mind. "So, Mr. Ashford, why _do_ you have geass?"

The elderly man seemed quite amused at Lelouch's questions. "I got it from C.C… Judging from your reaction, you know who that is. I suppose I shouldn't have to remind you that I was practically your mother's father?"

"No, no, of course not." Lelouch gripped his forehead, willing away a headache that threatened to pound through his skull. "What about Shinjuku?"

"The news said that poison gas was released in the ghettos yesterday, but Clovis has captured the people responsible."

_Kallen_. _Ohgi._

Suddenly, Lelouch knew he didn't have enough time to stay in bed. He got up and hastily looked for something to change into. He couldn't go where he planned in a school uniform.

"Going already?" Despite asking, Mr. Ashford seemed to understand. "Remember, no one knows about your fate but you."

Lelouch nodded. "Got it. Besides, it wouldn't matter much if they did, right? Being in unconscious for a day should mean that my fate's—if that's what it really is—has already changed."

"Quite perceptive," Mr. Ashford noted, "Just like your mother."

Lelouch slowly made his way to the door, his footsteps becoming increasingly steady by the moment. Then, Mr. Ashford made one last call, "Hey, Lelouch. Here, catch."

Lelouch turned around just in time to catch a golden keychain. He looked at the principal, who smiled. "Go into my office and open the bottom-left desk cabinet. You'll probably need a bit of equipment, wherever you're going."

"Thanks."

Mr. Ashford watched as his student went out of the room. Then he chuckled. "2-3 years? It only took a day for him to see that far into his future?"

"With an average man, seeing that far into the future would mean a few months in a coma. What a demon."

* * *

><p><strong>Area 11 Concession<strong>

Standing with a black briefcase at his side, Lelouch wondered at what had happened. He should be dead, yet instead he was riding a train, as alive as could be. He glanced at the people around him. They all should be cowering in fear of him, as if seeing a ghost, yet nobody even bothered glancing at him. The world should be rejoicing his death, yet everybody he met acted as if it was just another mundane day in their mundane lives. Indeed, he shouldn't even be wearing the brown jacket that he'd worn two years ago, when Zero was just starting to make a name for himself.

Even if it was incredible, it wasn't entirely unbelievable. Lelouch himself had been able to control minds, so it wouldn't be a surprise of Mr. Ashford could use a geass... _Which reminds me... I don't have geass anymore, do I?_

Whatever the case, Lelouch needed to get started working. The former Demon Emperor sighed.

He would be getting his hands uncomfortably dirty this time.

* * *

><p><strong>Undisclosed Location<strong>

**Government Maximum Security Imprisonment Facility**

"So, these are the terrorists?"

General Bartley Asprius nodded. "Indeed, Your Highness. We were about to begin the interrogation."

Viceroy Clovis la Britannia looked around. Inside the small, white-walled room, were about a dozen Japanese men dressed in prison uniforms. There were also two women, one of whom seemed to still be a teenager. _Filthy Elevens._ "We don't need this many. Get rid of half of them."

Bartley nodded again. "Of course, Your Highness. Please just wait until the interrogation team arrives."

* * *

><p>"Look at that man, always standing at Clovis's beck and call."<p>

Baron Penley was disgusted… as well as a bit envious. Despite being a baron, Penley was stuck managing a prison, while the overweight general Bartley personally directed His Highness's army. Why His Highness would even want a Baron watching over a simple prison was beyond Penley.

Next to him, two guards sat silently, watching the array of monitors in front of them. Privately, Penley wondered how they could stand it. All day, every day, watching security footage pile in from the cameras covering the prison.

_It just isn't right._ Penley glanced at the other monitors. _Not like it ever is…_

Suddenly, the Britannian spotted a familiar face, standing a distance outside the facility.

…_Why the hell is that boy here again?_

"Hey, guys. Looks like one of my guests has returned."

At first, neither guard moved. Then one bent forward, towards a computer keyboard. After a moment of typing, several of the monitors went black, including the ones observing the prison entrance. After another moment, the black monitors lit up once again, displaying camera feeds from other locations.

Penley smiled. "Thanks, guys. I appreciate it." He started walking out of the room. "One of you, follow me."

* * *

><p>"L.L.! Such a pleasure to see you!"<p>

Lelouch smiled as he saw two men walk out of the prison gates. "The pleasure's all mine, Baron Penley."

The prison officer smiled. "So, what can I do for you? I'm sorry to say, but I won't be able to pay you for our last match, yet. It'll take a while to get all the money…"_ I can't believe I have to bow down to this brat. How the hell did he beat me in chess? I would never have bet so much money if I had known…_

"Please, don't worry about it." Lelouch took a few steps closer. "Actually, I was about to suggest that we alter the form of payment. What I have in mind should make things quite easier for you."

"Which would be?" Penley eyed the black briefcase that Lelouch was holding at his side.

The Britannian teenager noticed. Gesturing at his case, he smiled. "Don't worry, I'm not here to challenge you to a second match. Rather, what I'd like to talk about has to do with Shinjuku."

Penley froze. "Shinjuku?"

Lelouch nodded. "Yes, I heard from some of my sources that this prison is secretly holding the captive terrorists from Shinjuku…"

Penley was quick to catch on. "If you wish to see the captives, I'm sorry, but I can't let you do that right now. Some supervisors have come to watch the interrogation."

_Supervisors?_ _Clovis..._ "I see… then perhaps you could let me watch it via security feed?"

Penley shook his head. "Again, I would love to, but I would still get in a bit of trouble with the supervisors for showing an _active_ interrogation to a _high school_ student."

"...In other words, more trouble than you're currently in?" Lelouch's gentle smile gradually turned into a smirk. "If you want me to tell your peers that you lost in a game of chess with a high school student, I'm sure they will be _greatly _impressed. I'm also sure that His Highness would be equally impressed with the embezzlement streak you've been upholding; it's actually quite impressive how you've managed to make this prison look somewhat modern, considering how much of its budget you've used for gambling. Of course, we can't forget about how you've forced prison guards to periodically delete security footage in order to cover up for your blunders…"

"Alright, alright." Penley sighed. "I get it." _If only Clovis wasn't here._ "Follow me." Irritated, the baron began to briskly walk back towards the prison doors. Lelouch followed from behind, carrying his black briefcase.

* * *

><p>Lelouch watched through the lenses of security cameras as a line of half a dozen men walked down the hallways of the prison. Although the images shown on the monitors were small, Lelouch could guess who they were.<p>

_Interrogation Personnel._

Slowly, Lelouch bent down on the cool, black floor. _It's time to get moving._ The former "Demon Emperor" bent down to open his suitcase, casually angling it between the room's occupants and himself.

"Hey, what are you doing?" Most of the respectful tone had disappeared from Penley's voice.

Lelouch smiled as he opened his suitcase. "Nothing much."

Before Penley could enquire further, a sudden crash sounded through the small room. Turning, the baron found both of his subordinates with their heads on their keyboards. Just as he realized what had happened, Penley felt a cold object resting against his head.

"Now Penley, you wouldn't mind helping me a bit more, would you?"

* * *

><p><strong>Well, that's the beginning of a relic from my beginnings as a writer. Keep in mind that I wrote this when I was just getting started writing fanfics. Tell me your thoughts.<strong>

**Also, here's a little note: No OC's in this fanfic! Although I love making up OC's that aren't Mary Sue-like, I think it's refreshing to be working with the original characters. Of course I did and will be using Mr. Ashford, but I would think he doesn't count as an OC; he's slightly mentioned in canon as the man behind the Ashford Foundation, and I hope to use him sparingly.**

**Also, unlike the others, this has no clear-cut plot. Give me your suggestions!**


	2. Jailbreak

**Hello out there! Sorry for the lack of updates, I've been busy with academics, non-profit work, and the like. I'll try to write more, but as I mentioned before, I have a very busy schedule. Hopefully my work will die down as we get closer to summer!**

**Also, thanks for all the support! I didn't really expect such a huge response after posting the first chapter xD Thanks to Akirina, Akito89Lelouch, Zelouch vi Lamperouge, Worker72, Fangking2, Gonstika, Fall into the Void, Kami no Kage, XT3, Suzyn, FallenAngelitz, FalloutLamperouge, Owl Winter, Orchamus, Kagami Kamiya, LoliBat, demonturtle, Wowza48, bakapervert, EdoZero, Bunny 153539, Dust in the Light-Crisi, Lord Edric, Belle Morte Rising, Taira-keimei, Celestial Dance, and JohnTitor for reviewing!**

**Actually, a lot of the suggestions posted gave me some inspiration for my story's plot. Although I probably won't be incorporating all of them directly, most of the suggestions really inspired me to reevaluate and improve my storyline, so thanks! (Though, the bad side is that I took a real long time revising everything. Add limited writing time and I'm lucky I was able to publish anything at all! :( )**

**Also, about pairings… first off, you won't find yaoi in any of my fanfics. Sorry, but, as a guy, that's sorta unappealing to me. Have Lelouch and Suzaku as friends, maybe. Have them work together, maybe. But, as those of you who read 'Prince of Masks' may know, I lean towards the kalulu pairing (though it may not be immediately apparent in 'Prince of Masks'…. yet).**

Enjoy!

"for dialogue"

_Italics for thought_ (or stress when just a word _or two_)

ReStage 2: Jailbreak

**Undisclosed Location  
><strong>**Government Maximum Security Imprisonment Facility**

In the prison's security room, Baron Penley typed on his keyboard as if his life depended on it.

Which it did.

On one of the monitors, Penley pulled up a green, 3-D map of the prison complex. After a few more clicks, one room on the map started glowing red. "The captives are being held here." Another room turned red. "We're here. Happy?"

Lelouch nodded. "Very much so." The teenager's voice sounded so calm, it was almost hard for Penley to believe that the same teenager was holding a handgun against the baron's head. "Now, how well-trained is your interrogation team?"

"Are you planning to-?" Penley began, but the tapping of a silver gun barrel stopped him. "Right, right. Well… funny story there. You see, the prison budget is actually pretty tight-"

"Because you embezzled money from the very same budget on a regular basis?" Lelouch sounded slightly amused. For once, he was partially grateful for the corruption among nobles. _If I use the element of surprise, they probably wouldn't stand a chance. _Lelouch took a moment to memorize the map. "One last question, Do you know anything about 'Code-R'?"

"'Code-R'? What's that?"

Lelouch smiled. "Never mind. Thank you for all the help you've provided."

Penley stretched his lips in an attempted smile. _Not like I had a damn choice._ "You're very welcome. Now, if you could lower your gun, that would be most appreciated."

Lelouch continued to smile. "Of course. Holding this gun against your head has been quite tiring. But before I do…" The prince quietly pulled down on the trigger.

* * *

><p>"What's taking them so long?"<p>

Bartley tried to calm his prince. "I'm sure the interrogation team will be here any moment now, Your Highness."

Sitting across the room, Kallen Kozuki fumed. The Britannian was about to execute half of her comrades, yet the snobby prince was _bored_.

Just then, the silver door slid open. In marched six prison guards, handguns holstered around their waists. As they saluted, one man spoke up.

"Reporting for duty, Your Highness."

Prince Clovis sighed. "About time. I have a favor to ask of you." He gestured at the Eleven prisoners. "It seems we've captured a few terrorists too many. Please dispose of some. That should break any foolish pride they still have."

The guards started to smile. "With pleasure, Your Highness."

_Fuck._ Ohgi struggled futilely against his restraints. _These bastards are actually going to do it._

The guard that had spoken, apparently the leader, reached for his handgun.

Suddenly, the door slid open once more, and in walked a certain teenager in a prison guard uniform, hands at his side. In his left hand, he held a black handgun. In the other, he held a briefcase.

Clovis immediately demanded to the guards, "Who is this boy? I thought I specifically said that no one could enter except-"

Clovis's sentence was cut short by the sound of six bullets. The unprepared interrogators fell one-by-one, some without even having pulled out their weapons.

"Wha-" Clovis grew silent as the intruder's handgun came to face his chest. Carefully, Lelouch lowered his briefcase and began to open it with his right hand. He then proceeded to grab a second handgun from within the briefcase. This one was slightly bulkier, and it was a clean silver, instead of black.

Lelouch shifted his arms so that his left hand pointed towards General Bartley, while the unused gun targeted Prince Clovis.

While the everybody in the room, Kallen and Ohgi included, were still having trouble processing what had just happened, Lelouch barked, "Where is C.C.?"

"…C.C.?" repeated Clovis dumbly. "Who's C.C.? Who are you-"

"Don't play dumb with me, Clovis." Lelouch tried to put as much venom into his voice as he could. "Where is C.C.? Where are your people from Code-R keeping her?"

Lelouch saw Clovis's eyes widen at the term "Code-R". For a moment, the Viceroy was silent. Then he finally admitted, "…We don't know."

"You don't know?" Lelouch repeated. "What do you mean? Didn't you pick her up after the Shinjuku incident?"

"How did you know she was at Shinju-" Clovis was swiftly cut off as Lelouch raised his gun to point at Clovis's neck. "…W-we never found her at Shinjuku, I swear."

"How could you not have found her?" Lelouch's thoughts froze for a moment.. "If you don't have her, where is she?"

Clovis raised his hands in surrender. "I don't know." he pleaded, "I swear I'm telling the truth. Bartley can attest to it." The portly general nodded slightly in agreement.

Lelouch sighed. _If only I had my geass, then I could know for sure if they're telling the truth. But in order to get geass, I first need to find C.C…_ "And how can I tell that a corrupt, lying Brit like yourself is telling the truth?"

Prince Clovis's mouth hung half-open, trying to form words. The viceroy couldn't even remember the last time he'd been called a liar, much less how to react when held at gunpoint.

The teenager ignored Clovis's expression. Instead he announced, "I'm going to pull this trigger in ten seconds. You better tell me the truth before then."

"But I'm telling you-"

"Ten."

"I'm telling the truth!"

"Nine."

"Please believe me!"

"Eight… Seven."

Clovis made a visible effort to calm himself, taking a deep breath. "…Alright, alright! I'll tell you the truth."

Lelouch slowed down, but he still kept counting. "Six."

"She's in another prison."

"Five."

"If you let me, I can tell you where-"

"Four."

"I'm telling you I know where she is!"

"Three."

"Please, please stop your incessant counting!"

"Two."

"Don't you want to know where she is?"

"One."

Desperately, Clovis began to rush towards one of the dead guards, most likely reaching for a gun. However, he did not get far.

"Zero." With that one word, Lelouch pulled down on the trigger. Clovis flinched as the sound of a gunshot filled the room.

"Your Highness!" Bartley dropped down onto his knees in shock as he watched his liege fall. After a moment of disbelief, he turned to Lelouch. "You monster! Do you know what you've just done? You just killed the viceroy of Area 11!"

Lelouch remained emotionless. "Well, he did deserve it. In order to save his petty life, Clovis was willing to lie and pretend that C.C. was still under his custody."

Bartley was almost too shocked to speak. "A-are you saying that you already knew that we had lost our test subject? And you still shot him?"

Lelouch suddenly smirked. "No, I didn't know for sure… But now I do." Lelouch raised his right arm. "Thanks to you."

Realization struck Bartley. "Y-You demon! You used me! And you call yourself a Britann-"

After another pull of the trigger, Bartley fell facedown. Lelouch quickly holstered one gun into his prison guard outfit and dropped the other one onto his suitcase. He then turned away from the still bodies and started walking towards the speechless Japanese captives. As if answering the Britannian general's question, the teenager mused to himself, "It's been a long time since I ever considered myself a Britannian."

* * *

><p>For quite a while, Kallen's brain refused to believe that it had happened. It was simply too unbelievable. Then she felt a gentle touch around her arms. She came to her senses in time to feel the bonds of her outfit broken, giving back her ability to use her arms. As she felt her legs freed, she smiled briefly from the restored blood circulation.<p>

It was only as Lelouch went on to the next prisoner that she lifted her hands to pull down the mask that covered her mouth. "Who are you?" _For some reason, he looks familiar._

For a moment, it seemed he wouldn't answer. Instead, he was simply helping a nearby terrorist out of his prison uniform. Then he spoke, his voice calm and tinged with amusement, "Out of everyone here, I least expected you to ask that, Kallen Stadtfeld."

"You haven't answered my question," Kallen narrowed her eyes, "And how do you know my name?"

"I'll answer those questions later, once everyone's safe. In fact, if you can move, shouldn't you be helping free your friends?" As he spoke, he moved on to help free Ohgi.

For a moment, Kallen looked like she wanted to argue. However, she decided to not question their mysterious savior. At least, not until all her comrades could move. And fight.

Ohgi reached up with his freed arms to remove his mouthpiece. "Thanks for the rescue. What group are you from? The JLF?"

Lelouch smiled, "Hardly."

Ohgi frowned. "You're not? What other group has the connections to pull this off?" The terrorist leader examined Lelouch. "Now that I think about it, what Britannian's willing to jailbreak a bunch of Japanese terrorists like us?"

"As I told that obese general, I don't exactly consider myself Britannian." Lelouch stood up, having freed the last captive. He extended one hand, trying to help up the once-prisoner.

At first, the terrorist just looked at the offered hand. Then he lowered his face-cover and spat at Lelouch's feet. Getting up by himself, Tamaki muttered, "A Brit's still got Brit blood, no matter what he says." He ended this statement with a meaningful glare towards the Britannian teenager.

Lelouch remained silent. Instead, he turned around to see that the other terrorists had gathered to face him. They weren't completely blocking his path, but he could see in some of their eyes a sense of suspicion. Mentally, the teenager resisted the urge to lower his hand to is gun.

Ohgi stood at the front of the loose group of terrorists. "So, who was that 'C.C.' back there?" He jerked his head towards the motionless bodies.

Lelouch resisted the urge to smile. There was a time in the past - or was it the future? - where Ohgi would never had asked him a question directly. But now, questions came one after another. Ohgi of the Black Knights was gone...

He'd noticed it in the other terrorists as well. The righteous Black Knights were gone, replaced by a ruthless, suspicious terrorist cell. The very people he'd once counted as his closest comrades were now gone.

And Lelouch would have to resurrect them, working from the very beginning. For some reason, this mildly excited Lelouch. A chance to do everything again: to run the Black Knights without the mistakes of his memories.

Then he glanced at the still body of his half-brother, Clovis.

_But, for now, that can wait._

"C.C.'s just an old friend of mine. That's all." Before he could be asked more questions, Lelouch slid past the terrorists, towards the motionless bodies. The terrorists slowly followed, slightly irked at not getting the answer they had wanted.

Lelouch picked through the pockets of the guards. Each time he came across a gun, he passed it to those behind him.

"Here, Kallen."

"Here, Ohgi."

"Here, Minami…Inoue…Yoshida..."

When he was done, Lelouch had armed six terrorists, while keeping his two guns for himself. As he put the silver gun back in his case, the teenager noticed that two or three of the terrorists were turning the guns in the hands, as if contemplating whether to further 'question' their unknown savior.

_At least Ohgi seems willing to wait. The others may be a bit too hotheaded right now…_ Crouching over his case, Lelouch glanced at his ungloved hands. They felt slightly bare without the black gloves he normally wore with his Zero costume.

_Was this really the smartest thing to do?_

Aloud, he muttered, "You guys need to get out. I'll follow in a bit."

Although nobody argued, neither did anybody move. Lelouch sighed. Before, as Zero, nobody would have disobeyed him. They might have grumbled, but they still did what he ordered... "Alright. Leave someone here to guard me while everyone else checks the halls."

Lelouch was careful to keep looking down, but he could still feel the glances and gestures that were being passed around the room. Eventually, the majority of the terrorists walked out, some slower than others.

After a few moments, only Lelouch and one armed redhead remained.

"Why'd you want us to leave first?"

_Although I'd rather not be seen doing this... Kallen is probably the safest option, besides Ohgi. _Keeping silent, Lelouch reached back into his case. Out of it he pulled two syringes. Quickly, Kallen lifted her gun halfway towards Lelouch.

A warning.

Lelouch just smiled. "Don't worry, I'm not going to use them on you." Standing up, he walked briskly towards where Clovis and Bartley lay. Kneeling down, he rolled the viceroy off his stomach. Within his robes was embedded a small object. Slowly, Lelouch removed it.

Kallen watched carefully from a slight distance. _Isn't that a needle?_

Meanwhile, the former demon was busy grabbing an unused syringe. Carefully placing it where the small needle had been immediately prior, Lelouch slowly released its contents into Clovis's bloodstream. After a moment, he went to repeat the process with General Bartley.

Slowly, Kallen began to piece everything together. "You didn't actually kill them?"

Lelouch made no response.

"You didn't kill them." This time, it was more a statement than a question.

Lelouch quietly used his second syringe. Just as he finished, he felt something solid against the back of his head. Lelouch slowly raised his hands up.

"Why?" Kallen eyed the used syringes he held in each hand. "You used a sedative, didn't you? And that's the antidote. Why didn't you just kill them?"

Lelouch slowly turned around. As the gun barrel came to face his forehead, Lelouch made direct eye contact with its wielder. "Do you _really_ want to know why I didn't kill him, Kallen?"

Kallen's eyes grew hard with suspicion. "Yes. And, on top of that, I'd like for you to hurry up and tell me how the hell you know my name."

Although outwardly emotionless, Lelouch continued to stare into Kallen's blue eyes, searching for a nonexistent remnant of the loyal subordinate from his past. Or, was it his future? Lelouch remained motionless, but he suddenly wished he could just close his eyes and spend a few moments thinking.

After a short silence, Lelouch carefully began to explain himself. "Kallen. The reason I used sedatives on them was because we can't kill them," Kallen opened her mouth to protest, but Lelouch finished, "_Yet._ If we kill the viceroy now, Britannia will just send others to replace him. We need to wait for better timing."

_If I kill him like last time, Cornelia will come too quickly. I need to find C.C. before she arrives. Even if it means keeping Clovis alive…_

Although Kallen continued to hold her gun, Lelouch knew she was slowly yielding to what he was saying. _Almost like at Babel Tower_...

"Kallen, trust me; I want to kill him just as much as you do. Probably more so. But I can't. Not if we want to stay alive long enough to fight Britannia in the future. It's good enough that you and your friends are free, but we can't be greedy so early on."

Kallen remained suspicious. "How can we trust you?"

Lelouch smiled. "That's why I gave you a gun. You choose what to do with it."

For a while, Kallen simply stared at him, analyzing him for any signs of deception. After a while, Kallen sighed. "Alright." Then she raised her gun once more. "But, if you do anything that seems suspicious, Brit…"

The Britannian prince's smile grew a slight bit warmer. "Roger, Kallen."

* * *

><p>"What do you think he's doing?"<p>

Ohgi inspected his new gun. "I don't know, Tamaki." He lowered the weapon and leaned back against a wall. "Hell, I don't even know who that kid is."

Skeptical, Tamaki sighed. "That's why I think it's a bad idea to wait for him. Who knows what he's planning?"

Nobody bothered to answer.

"…Which group do you think's backing him?" Minami wondered aloud. "There's no way one teenager can pull something like this off by himself. And we weren't behind bars for a full day yet…"

"Think it was staged? He's a Brit, after all. He could just be trying to win our trust." Tamaki reasoned.

"By killing the Viceroy?" Yoshida scoffed. "One small terrorist cell like ours isn't worth that much effort."

"You all should stop underestimating yourselves."

All the terrorists jumped slightly as a door opened, and their rescuer walked out, followed by Kallen. Locking the door behind him, Lelouch began to lead the way, his terrorist companions following. As he walked, he held his bag in front of him, with a laptop placed on top.

Tamaki was the last to move. As he slowly stepped in place to follow, he raised his gun. He pointed it towards Lelouch. Others noticed, but they said nothing.

Then, Kallen, still walking, stepped between the gun and Lelouch. _Not yet, Tamaki. We need to find out more about this guy, first._

As if hearing her thoughts, Tamaki quietly lowered his gun.

Meanwhile, Lelouch was busy typing on his laptop with one hand, holding it up with the other.

In fact, he was so distracted by his typing that he almost walked directly into a turn. However, Ohgi reached out and stopped him. Peering over the corner, Lelouch saw two guards patrolling the area. With a signal, two terrorists made the turn and opened fire.

After another period of typing, Lelouch smiled. _Security footage wiped… now as long as no one finds the dead guards… or Clovis._

_But, just to be sure..._ Pressing a few more keys in succession, Lelouch continued to move onward. Soon he was done. Packing his laptop back into his bag, Lelouch began to slightly speed up.

Presently, shouts could be heard from above, which only increased in volume as time passed. At the same time, Lelouch reached what he was searching for: a flight of stairs. It was only as his friends were walking down the steps that they realized that the shouts were not those of guards.

"Hey, kid. Did you…"

Lelouch smiled as he walked down the steps. "Every door here can be locked or unlocked electronically. Including those for jail cells."

For every floor that the terrorists passed, another floor above found itself with unlocked prison doors. As jailed convicts and Elevens began to crowd the hallways, prison guards soon became too occupied to notice the absence of some of their comrades. Passing four recently-shot guards, the Japanese terrorists and their teenage benefactor left the building long before they were noticed.

As he left the building, Lelouch glanced at his watch. _It should take at least an hour for them to settle the jailbreak and find Clovis... And around two hours for a report to reach Purist Headquarters._

* * *

><p><strong>Ashford Academy<br>****Principal's Office  
><strong>**1 Hour Later**

"How did it go?"

Lelouch dropped onto a chair, placing his borrowed briefcase on the ground. "Exhausting."

Ruben K. Ashford smiled. "Then I'll assume it was a success?"

"I suppose you could call it that." Lelouch rested his head on his left hand. "…Hey Grandpa, why were there sedatives in the case? Did you know I didn't plan to kill him?"

The old man simply kept smiling. "Kill who?" he asked innocently.

Instead of raising to the bait, Lelouch changed the topic. "...And, about your geass… Why did you use it on me? Did you prepare that case, knowing I would wake up when I did?"

The smile faded. "'Why' indeed…" Mr. Ashford pondered aloud, "It was probably because you were too naive."

"What do you mean?" The teenager sounded mildly insulted.

Mr. Ashford stood up from his chair. With a few steps, he faced the large window behind his desk. Outside, Ashford students were roaming the campus. One such student was daintily reading a book nearby, under the shade of a tree. "Well, in some aspects, you weren't prepared for the real world."

"For example…" The old man turned towards Lelouch. This time he was holding a gun. "You have no idea what my motives are, I've hidden the existence of geass from you for many years, and I almost put you in a coma using my own geass, yet you come here unarmed. In the real world, that would mean death."

"Is that so?" This time it was Lelouch's turn to smile. "Then, what is that outside your window?"

Keeping his gun up, Mr. Ashford turned to look back out the window. He quickly found that the student who had been reading a book moments earlier now appeared to hold something else as well.

It was a gun. And its wielder was none other than Kallen Stadtfeld.

"You know, it's rather impolite to carry a gun into the principal's office." Lelouch walked towards Mr. Ashford and his raised gun. "Besides, you had plenty of opportunities to kill me before, so I doubt you'd shoot me now."

Mr. Ashford chuckled. "Good, good." He turned to face back to Lelouch. "Now, tell me, could you have done this two years ago?"

Lelouch smiled to himself, knowing the old man was not talking about the past two years he'd spent at Ashford Academy. "I suppose I couldn't have." Getting up from his chair, Lelouch walked to the window. With a wave of the hand, he signaled to the outside. "I had a feeling you would test me."

Mr. Ashford watched as the redhead hid her gun. "You know, Lelouch, even the greatest men in the world wish for a second chance at life. All I wanted to do was give you that chance."

"And now that I've travelled to hell and back, there is no longer anything to fear, right?"

The principal smiled. "As if you ever feared hell, boy."

Lelouch said nothing, but instead he walked back towards the office door. Opening the door slightly, the teenager paused. "I trust that I have your support?"

"Of course."

"Then I'll be going now. I have another matter to attend to before the day is over; I just came to return your case."

As the door closed behind Lelouch, Mr. Ashford sighed. Thinking aloud to himself, he cautioned, "Even if you have nothing to fear, Lelouch, be careful." He watched as Lelouch walked outside. After a moment, Kallen stood up.

"Even if you may not fear hell, you may not feel the same for your friends."

* * *

><p>"Well, that went well."<p>

Kallen was silent.

"You shouldn't have a problem cutting classes anymore." Lelouch continued. _Not like cutting classes ever bothered you before._

When Kallen didn't respond, Lelouch sighed. "You still have no intentions of trusting me, do you?"

"Nope."

"Well," Lelouch grabbed a bag that had been lying on the ground, "I'll just have to earn it." He turned to leave.

"Hey."

Lelouch stopped.

"You never told me why a Brit like you is helping us out, _Lelouch Lamperouge_."

The Britannian schoolboy calmly glanced back down the hall. "So, you found out?"

"It's wasn't that hard, since you brought me here." Kallen walked towards him. "The question is, why the hell do you know Ohgi, Tamaki, and the rest?" She stepped right next to Lelouch.

"How long have you been watching us?" A sharp object against Lelouch's back told him to carefully consider his answer.

Unperturbed, the Britannian nonchalantly looked at his watch. "For little over one day…" He looked up. "Now, if you'll excuse me…"

A hand on his shoulder stopped him.

"...That's it?" Kallen asked. "You still haven't told us why you saved us. Do you expect us to pay you back?"

Lelouch simply smirked. "That's for you to decide."

Gently but firmly, he twisted out of her grip and moved on.

* * *

><p><strong>Area 11 Concession<br>****Pureblood Faction Headquarters  
><strong>**1 Hour, 30 Minutes Later**

"This is outrageous!" This cry was accompanied by a fist striking a desk, which resounded through the empty office.

Jeremiah Gottwald ran a hand through his green hair. He began to mutter, "Who the hell could have broken into a maximum security prison? And attacked His Highness, no less?"

The Purist knight glared at the phone on his desk, wishing it hadn't rung moments earlier, that the news had all been born from his imagination. "What the hell has Penley been doing?"

"He simply did what Britannian nobles do best. Deceive and oppress."

Immediately, Jeremiah sat upright, gun at the ready under his desk. In front of him was the unwelcome speaker, a black-haired Britannian wearing a lanyard connected to a card. Despite being across the room, the Pureblood Faction leader could roughly guess what the card said.

_Damnit. Who let a reporter in without telling me?_

Outwardly, Jeremiah tried to look calm. The last thing he wanted was a news story about how unsettled the Purebloods were. "Can I help you?" he asked gruffly.

The man stepped forward. "In fact, you can. I came to talk to you about today's incident."

_So this boy thinks he has the right to barge right into here, just because he's a small-time reporter?_ "I'm afraid that I'm a too busy right now for an interview. Come another time."

"Oh no, I'm not here for an interview." The reporter stopped to lean over Jeremiah's desk. "I'm here to help you."

"And what kind of help would that be?" Jeremiah's voice was tinted with a sarcastic interest. Now that he was closer, Jeremiah noticed that the man he was facing was extremely young.

Too young to be a reporter.

"Say, can I see your ID?"

"Of course." The man removed his lanyard, giving it to the Purist. As he did so, he answered Jeremiah's prior question. "All I wanted was to suggest a way to escape this little nightmare."

Jeremiah flipped the ID card. _Trent White for Area 11 News. _He'd never heard of the man before, but then again, Jeremiah didn't know many reporters. At least the ID card seemed legitimate. "Escape this little nightmare?" Jeremiah repeated, slightly mocking. "What do you mean?" As he asked, the knight made eye contact with the unknown man.

The reporter looked away, but not out of fear. Changing the subject, the reporter noted, "Kewell Soresi is quite the ambitious young man, isn't he?"

"…What does that have to do with anything?"

The man smiled. "I believe you'll find out soon enough." He promptly turned around and moved to leave.

"...That's all?" Jeremiah became incredulous. "Don't you have anything more to say?"

The journalist paused. "Trent White doesn't." Then he left.

For a moment, Jeremiah simply stared at the closed door.

"What the hell?"

Then the faction leader realized that he was still holding the man's ID card. Looking at the card once more, he turned to his computer. He quickly reached the Area 11 News website and typed 'Trent White' into a search engine.

No results came.

Jeremiah silently cursed. He'd assumed that the front desk would have at least done a background check on the man. Now he knew absolutely nothing about the curious 'journalist'.

Looking back at the ID card, Jeremiah lifted it up to the light. As the light reflected off its laminated surface, he came to realize that there was a word faintly imprinted on the photo in the ID card.

Taking a piece of scrap paper, he recorded the letters he could see.

"A-S-H-F-O-R-D."

* * *

><p><strong>Ashford Academy<br>****Lamperouge Residence  
><strong>**1 Hour Later**

"Hello?" Lelouch called down the hall. His words were soon met with a much more enthusiastic reply.

"Lelouch!"

Soon a young, disabled girl appeared through a doorway, followed by a Japanese maid. "Welcome, Master Lelouch," greeted Sayoko Shinozaki, "Mr. Ashford told us you had recovered."

"Are you alright, Brother?" added Nunnally, concerned.

Lelouch smiled. It was so refreshing to hear his sister's gentle voice. "Yes, Nunnally. I was just feeling a bit sick, but a day in bed cured me. How was school?"

Nunnally pouted in mock annoyance. "Only you would ask that, Brother. Grandpa was telling us you might be in bed for weeks!"

"He did, did he? He was just exaggerating." Privately, Lelouch wondered how long the headmaster had expected him to be in unconscious. "Anyways, I'm alright now, Nunnally." He reached out a hand to grasp Nunnally's own. "See? I'm perfectly fine."

In reality, it took all of Lelouch's effort to hide his anxiety. It was simply too unreal.

Had this been before his 'death', and Nunnally would have greeted him with tears and curses. Even when she had finally learned of the Zero Requiem, he had 'died' seeing her crying.

Back in the present, Lelouch leaned forward to give his sister a hug.

"Lelouch?" Nunnally was caught by surprise. "Is everything alright?"

As his sister and Sayako watched, confused, Lelouch simply smiled. "Yes, Nunnally. Everything's alright."

* * *

><p><strong>Nope. No real cliffhanger ending. I've just always liked how Lelouch always has a soft side :D No, I am not a fangirl.<strong>

**^^ What was the point of the 'journalist' meeting Jeremiah? It might not be what you think (or it may xD) Note: Yeah, it was _supposed_ to sorta be a 'what the hell?' moment.**

…**Something tells me that parts of this chapter may seem illogical to some people. No real basis for this, it's just a little premonition I'm getting (which is part of why I updated so late: edits, edits, and more edits). In the end, I decided to stop spending weeks rewriting it, and just publish it. If some of the details that I left do seem illogical, my last defense is that this is fanfiction to an anime, which, by definition, tends to be illogical xD**

**BTW, I did some research about how 'Instant Sedation' is a trope xD. Yeah, I used it, but I found that it does have real-life parallels. There are tranquilizers that work within seconds, a time frame that can be shortened by stress (such as with Clovis) or movement (which can be as simple as falling down). In addition, hypothetically, the basic thought that Clovis and Bartley believed they were going to die might help, though, to my research, this hasn't been tested in real-life. In addition, tranquilizers can have harmful side-effects as a result, which can be mitigated by the use of an antidote. I learned something new while fanfic writing xD**

**Also, I decided to paint Ruben Ashford as a 'grandfather' character. I thought it was fitting, considering how the Ashfords were good friends of Marianne and her children.**

**Anyways, on to another update! (Though I'm not sure yet for which story xD). I'll try to make the next one faster!**


	3. Breaking Patterns

**Heeeellllllllllllloo there! Luckily, it seems I haven't become immune to caffeine... yet.**

**Wow, just 2 chapters in and I already got 51 reviews! As long as the reviews keep coming, I'll keep updating!**

**Thanks to Kagami Kamiya, bakapervert, Noxy the Proxy, Orchamus, Wowza48, Worker 72, Bunny153539, Klein, Fangking2, KnightOfHolyLight, notsofrilly, Belle Morte Rising, god of all, animekingmike, Taira-keimei, Varnock, OBSERVER01, Lukarion, EdoZero, Dogmatix314, Ciel Moony, and Jarjaxle for reviewing! I really do read all your reviews, and the encouragement that they give really do wonders for my writing!**

**Quick response to one reviewer's question:**

"So if he was an older contract person to c.c. why did she reject him or vice versa."

**A: First of all, there's no law that geass users have to fulfill a contract with their contractors. In fact, I think V.V. and the dozens of Geass Order kids are a perfect example. Anyways... that's why you need to keep reading the story! xD**

**Note: Just as a test, I'm going to stop writing the places/times after each section break. If people want, I can put them back.**

**2nd Note: Tranquilizers tend to have a side-effect of short-term memory loss, esp. when at concentrations like in this story ^^**

Enjoy!

"for dialogue"

_Italics for thought_ (or stress when just a word _or two_)

ReStage 3: Breaking Patterns

"He's regaining consciousness."

With a slight moan, a blond man slowly opened his eyes, only to shut them in response to the blinding artificial light.

"My lord, are you alright?"

Half-asleep, the prince tried to shade his eyes with his right hand. "Bartley? Is that you?" Presently, Prince Clovis's vision cleared. He was lying on his bed, silver medical instruments surrounding him. A glance at the windows showed that the sun was already high in the sky.

"Yes, Your Highness, it's me."

Clovis lifted himself so that he was half-sitting and half-reclining. Looking towards the foot of his bed, his eyes focused on the portly general. It took a few moments for the viceroy to gather his thoughts.

"…Bartley, what happened?"

His subordinate faltered at the vague question. "What do you mean, sire?"

Clovis sighed, but his voice remained soft with fatigue. "What _could_ I mean, Bartley? Why the hell am I on this bed?"

"…You don't remember?" Bartley released the breath he'd been holding. "I was hoping you would surely remember something."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Clovis asked.

Bartley was hesitant at first. "My lord, I just regained consciousness an hour ago. I've been told that we were found unconscious at Penley's prison yesterday."

"Penley's prison?" Clovis let his head fall back onto his pillow with a slight groan. "Why would we have been there, Bartley?"

"Your Highness, if I recall correctly…" Bartley glanced at the doctor standing nearby.

"Leave us, Doctor." Clovis commanded tiredly, shooing him away with his hand. The doctor quickly obliged.

"If I recall correctly," Bartley continued, careful to keep his voice low, "we were interrogating the terrorists about the whereabouts of test subject C.C."

Clovis raised his hand for silence. "…and then someone interrupted us. It's a bit hazy, but I'm starting to remember. Somebody came in and tried to ask us about her… " He lowered his hand onto his temple. _Why the hell is everything so hazy? _"Can you remember who he was?"

"No, Your Highness." Bartley responded regretfully, "And it appears the intruder wiped all our security footage. He used a prison break to conceal his escape."

_Could this get any worse?_ Clovis was almost afraid to ask. "And the Elevens? Weren't they witnesses? Why not interrogate them?"

"They escaped along with the intruder."

Clovis stared at the foot of his bed, clenching his temple ever-tighter. "Great. Just great. If this gets out, I'll become the laughingstock of Britannia. And we can't even catch the perpetrator."

Suddenly, a knock came on the door. Clovis errantly looked for a mirror to fix his appearance. "Who is it?"

The voice, with the crisp features of a soldier, is muffled through the door. "Kewell Soresi, Your Highness. If I may, I would like to make a report."

* * *

><p>"So, what do you think we should do about this, Jeremiah?"<p>

The Purist leader shrugged slightly. "What can we do, Viletta? We have to wait to see what His Highness does. There's a chance he has everything under control." He glanced meaningfully at the empty space next to his subordinate. "Where's Kewell?"

Viletta Nu explained, "He left headquarters about an hour ago. We have no idea where he is now."

"He did?" Jeremiah frowned. "Kewell isn't the type to leave without notice…" His voice died off. _What the hell is he up to?_

Viletta noticed. "Sir? Is something wrong?"

Coming to his senses, Jeremiah shook his head. "No. You can leave now." Leaving no further explanation, he waited for the Britannian woman to step out of his office. Then he turned to his computer.

For some odd reason, he couldn't forget the words of the mysterious 'reporter'

"_Kewell Soresi is quite the ambitious young man…"_

_Ridiculous. Even if he's ambitious, that's a trait to praise, not to fear._ Nonetheless, Jeremiah reopened a webpage he'd been looking at a day earlier.

Ashford Academy. _So, Lord Ashford has been reduced to a school principal? How times have changed._ Jeremiah was reminded of the old noble, a good friend of Marianne vi Britannia.

_Her Majesty…_

Carefully shaking away past memories, the Knight quickly resumed where he had left off yesterday; checking the student registry.

After a few more minutes, he found what he was looking for. One student looked almost identical to the 'reporter'.

_Lelouch Lamperouge_.

"Lelouch?" Jeremiah smiled sadly as he was reminded of a young prince. _What a coincidence. He looks just like His Highness would have, had he lived…_ With a click of the mouse, Jeremiah began to read more about the mysterious student.

There he noticed yet another coincidence. _He even has the same birthday, what a… coincidence._

Just as he was piecing things together, another fact sent him reeling.

_Relatives: younger sister, Nunnally Lamperouge, also attending Ashford Academy._

His hand was beginning to shake slightly, but he nonetheless clicked the link to the sibling's information.

_Her birthday as well… is it possible? Are they…_

* * *

><p>"See something you like?"<p>

Lelouch smiled. The question was a refreshing reminder of the second chance he'd been given. "Perhaps, Rivalz."

While his blue-haired friend paused to register the unexpected answer, Lelouch stood up from his seat. "Don't forget the President's orders."

Rivalz's mouth formed a silent "oh", then he smiled. "You had me going there for a moment, Lelouch. I almost forgot she's joining the student council."

Lelouch passed around Rivalz. "Millay's probably done preparing by now. Take Shirley with you. I'll bring Kallen."

"Roger that, Lelouch."

As Rivalz moved to comply, Lelouch made his way to a certain redhead's desk. "Do you have a minute, Kallen?"

For a moment, she paused. Noting her companions' expressions, Kallen tried to force her characteristically-sheltered smile. "I'd be happy to." She cringed slightly as her 'friends' began to squeal in excitement. _Is this Brit really that popular? _She got up and grabbed her bag. "Lead the way, Lelouch."

* * *

><p>Kallen glanced down the hall. <em>Nobody in sight.<em> "What do you want, Lelouch?" She completely dropped her 'sheltered' tone of voice, swapping it for a slightly gruffer alternative.

Lelouch just smiled. "What do you think I want?"

"If I knew, would I be asking you?"

The teenage boy seemed to take a great deal of pleasure in teasing her. "I suppose not, but then again, I only asked about what you _thought._"

Kallen curled a fist, resisting the urge to send the Britannian flying.

Meanwhile, Lelouch stopped in front of a door. Opening it, he led Kallen into a large ballroom. As if beginning a tour, he explained, "This is the Clubhouse. Our student council uses it for hosting special events. When it's not being used, the Student Council is the only one with access to it." He stopped and turned to face Kallen. "Of which I'm the vice president, by the way."

"So, this would be a great place to talk in private." Kallen realized. "So… what did you want to talk about-"

"Found it!"

To Lelouch's amusement, Kallen was visibly startled by the outburst. As she tried to maintain some composure, her left hand dropped towards her bag, undoubtedly reaching for a small pink pouch. She stopped herself mid-motion, instead turning to face the source of disruption.

At that moment, a girl with orange hair stood up from her place on the balcony. In her hand was a small computer chip.

A frail, quiet girl followed up. "Thanks, Shirley." said Nina Einstein. Meanwhile, Rivalz reappeared, stretching his bent back. "Dang that thing's small. You need to be more careful, Nina-"

"Hey guys~ Did you guys find it?"

Kallen, now clearly confused, watched as Milly Ashford walked through a pair of double doors, pushing a tray of assorted foods. A girl in a wheelchair trailed behind, holding two boxes of pizza. "Lelouch, can you put this on the table for me?" Nunnally's brother was already on his way, lifting the boxes off her lap.

"Um," Kallen didn't know where to start. "What is all this, Lelouch?"

Lelouch enjoyed watching the terrorist trying to analyze the situation. "I thought I told you, we're here to welcome you as a student council member."

"Wha-" Kallen was now thoroughly disorientated. "What? Why?"

With practiced confidence, Milly began to welcome the newest addition to the student council. Setting the dishes on a white-clothed table, she explained, "It was my grandfather's idea, really. Every student needs to be in at least one club, and since you didn't seem interested in any of the normal ones…" She turned her head to look at Kallen. "Is there a problem, Kallen?"

For a moment, Kallen was about to reject the offer. _This is why I hate Britannians, they assume everybody else is fine with doing what they say._ Then she glanced at Lelouch. _Though, it would be a good opportunity to learn more about him…_ "No, not really." She tried to force a smile. "Thank you."

As the other student council members introduced themselves, Lelouch checked the time. 4:30 PM. _Better make this quick._

* * *

><p>Lelouch held onto his breath for a moment longer. Sometimes, it was erie how similar reality was to his 'vision' - if he could call it that. <em>Still a lot has changed… and will change. <em>Rapping lightly on the door next to him, he announced, "It's me, Lelouch. I have a change of clothes for you."

There was a momentary silence, filled only be the pitter-patter of a shower. "…You can come in. I've drawn the curtain."

As Lelouch opened the door, hot, moist air greeted him. Placing the clothes on a chair, he apologized, "Sorry about what happened back there. They can be a little over the top." He took care to look in the opposite direction, even if only Kallen's shadow was visible.

"It's alright; it's good to cut loose every now and then, you know?"

Lelouch smiled. He knew quite well that the hotblooded terrorist would rather die than 'cut loose' with a couple of Britannians. "I suppose so. Well, these are some of my clothes, hope you don't mind."

Kallen seemed to notice something. "That was fast. Did you go all the way to the boy's dorm?"

"Actually, I live here, at the clubhouse. It would be hard for my sister to live in the dorms, so the principal's let us live here."

"I see…" Recalling the smiling, disabled child, Kallen glanced in Lelouch's direction, who was hidden by the shower curtain. Seeing Nunnally made Kallen want to reevaluate Lelouch. However, Tamaki's words rang in her head.

_A Brit's still got Brit blood, no matter what he says._

"Well anyways…" Kallen heard the Britannian move to leave.

"Wait." Kallen called out, not knowing why she did.

All she knew was that too much was unclear. And that Lelouch was the solution to understanding it all. "Can you hand me that pouch over there?"

Without looking, Lelouch knew what pouch she was referring to. Stepping over to the sink, he complied. As he picked up the pouch, he tried to feel for the switch that would reveal the hidden blade.

As he passed his hand through the curtain, he warned, "I wouldn't do that, if I were you."

Kallen's hand stopped in midair, a mere second away from slapping the pouch out of his hand. However, a shining blade warned that doing so would not have pleasant results.

_How'd he know? _"Bastard."

Lelouch tut-tutted. "It's called self-defense. I hardly wanted to lose a hand due to a rash decision-"

"Is that so?"

A slim hand wrapped itself around Lelouch's wrist, quickly tightening to pull Lelouch's arm around the back of his neck so that the knife in his hand faced his neck. Kallen's other hand held Lelouch's other arm, preventing him from turning around.

"I could kill you anytime I want to."

"Does it matter?" _Her pride's been hurt. _Lelouch seemed unfazed. "You still won't."

"What tells you that?"

"Because you need me." He paused, glancing away. "…If you want to free Japan, that is."

Kallen scoffed. "And how could you do that? Aren't you letting that little jailbreak go to your head, Brit?"

"Oh, I'm not going to do it. I'm just the key that opens the door."

_The key? _Kallen tightened her grip. "Stop being ambiguous. When are you going to tell us why you freed us, Lelouch?"

Lelouch decided to change the topic. "Do you know how I know you won't kill me?"

"Answer my question, damnit."

Lelouch rolled his neck slightly, limited as he was by the knife. Unperturbed, he continued, "If I wanted to kill you, I could have just let Clovis do it for me. Just like how, if you wanted to kill me, you could do it now. But I didn't, and you won't."

Before Kallen could ask another question, he glanced to the bathroom mirror. "Also, you know I can see you, right?"

Without thinking, Kallen pushed Lelouch away. "Pervert!"

Lelouch just smiled as his knee hit the ground, stopping his fall. Getting up, he put Kallen's knife on the sink and pulled the collar of his uniform straight. "I'll be waiting outside."

As he left, Kallen dropped to her knees. Even though she'd been the one threatening his life, Kallen knew she'd been the one manipulated. He'd purposely stuck out the knife, intending for her to threaten him, instead of interrogating him, as she'd originally set out to do. Then he purposely embarrassed her in order to get away.

And, as much as she hated to admit it, the Britannian had piqued her curiosity. _He's just a key? Key to what?_

* * *

><p>When Kallen left the bathroom, dressed in Lelouch's casual clothes, she found Lelouch waiting nearby. Having learned to think before acting, she kept her mouth quiet. For now.<p>

They reentered the clubhouse just in time to hear the news on a nearby TV.

"Just yesterday, an assassin broken into a federal prison in a failed attempt to murder Prince Clovis, who was doing a voluntary inspection of the facility…"

Kallen muttered under her breath. "'Voluntary inspection'? Typical Britannians."

Moving only his eyes, Lelouch searched for Nunnally. _I just hope she'll be able to handle this._

The news reporter continued, "… Not long ago, the assassin, who had successfully murdered Baron Penley the Third in cold blood, was successfully identified and arrested. His name is Suzaku Kururugi, Honorary Britannian and son of the late Japanese Prime Minister, Genbu Kururugi."

Lelouch watched Nunnally make an almost-inaudible gasp. _Sorry, Nunnally…_

The news channel moved to show Prince Clovis, evidently in a press conference of some kind. The viceroy pretended to clench his heart. "My dear subjects, I express the deepest regret for Baron Penley's death, as well as those of his peers. My heart goes out to the families of the deceased, who died preserving justice."

He then lifted his hand. "That is why I would like to give my utmost thanks to the man responsible for their murderer's arrest." Clovis swept his hand behind him to point at an orange-haired man."

"Kewell Soresi!"

* * *

><p>"Kewell?"<p>

Jeremiah turned his head to stare at the car radio. "How the hell did he knew who the assassin was? Kewell should have been as clueless as the rest of us..."

Mentally, he told himself not to fret. After all, this surely helped the Purebloods in the end, right? The fact that an Honorary Britannian was the culprit simply strengthened the reasons for tearing down the Honorary citizenship system.

_Still, why can't I shake this suspicion?_ Jeremiah glanced outside the car window. _Maybe I can get some answers here._

Jeremiah then drove under a pair of gates, above which read only two words:

Ashford Academy.

* * *

><p>"'Failed attempt'?" Ohgi repeated, disbelieving. "But, that's impossible. Clovis was shot right before our eyes."<p>

"I told you all we couldn't trust that Britannian!" Tamaki warned, "He's just like the rest of those bastards."

"What I don't get is why he did it." Yoshida sighed. "What the hell does he stand to gain from letting Clovis live? Hell, we don't know why he did anything in the first place."

"Maybe we should ask him. Kallen did say he's a classmate of hers." Ohgi suggested.

"I doubt that will work. He probably would have told us by now, if he had planned to." Minami pointed out. "I hate to say it, but it looks like we just have to stay quiet and wait. He probably didn't break us out for free."

* * *

><p>A loud rap resounded through the Principal's Office. "Lord Ashford? May I have a word?"<p>

When there was no response, the polished doors opened slowly. In marched Jeremiah, eyes respectfully and quickly analyzing the room.

The only light came from the sun beyond the windows. Jeremiah reached for and turned on the lights.

There was no one to be seen.

"Mr. Ashford stepped out for a while. I'm afraid you may have to settle for me."

Jeremiah spun around to confront the speaker. In the corner of the office, sat a teenager in school uniform. He'd been purposely sitting at the edge of Jeremiah's vision. The Margrave immediately recognized him. Still, his voice quavered slightly.

"L-Lelouch Lamperouge?"

The student lay his head on his own upturned arm. "Most here call me that. Though, I suppose you would know otherwise." He pretended to look at his watch. "How long has it been now, Jeremiah? 7 years? 8?"

Jeremiah was hesitant, but something told him that his senses weren't deceiving him. With a thud, he fell to his knee, right arm crossed over his chest in a gesture of fealty. "Much too long, Your Highness."

Oh, how long he had dreamed of uttering those words.

* * *

><p>"Are you going to just let him take the fall?" Kallen was incredulous.<p>

Lelouch just smirked. "Of course not. Don't worry, everything will turn out alright." He glanced at a TV that was playing nearby. It had been a day, and not much had happened. Unsurprisingly, Suzaku was to be publicly transported to his trial, probably while being criticized by Britannians en route. _Much like last time…_

Lelouch heard his phone ring. "Now, if you'll excuse me..."

A few minutes later, he was on the school roof. Taking his phone out, he dialed a number. "Hey Jeremiah, can you hear me?"

"Yes, my lord. I've already gathered the necessary people."

"Perfect."

"Your Highness, may I ask you a question?"

Lelouch smiled. "I suppose so. You probably have more than one, right?"

"How did you know I would come to see you?"

"The same way I knew you would realize who I am. By telling you only half a lie. Then all I had to do was wait for you to fill the other half with truth. It's a human instinct. I gave you too little information, and I barely had a full conversation with you, even though I was supposedly a reporter. It's only natural that you became curious enough to find out the truth."

"Is that so…you truly are a brilliant prince, my lord."

"It's nothing. Get back to preparing for tonight's event."

"Yes, Your Highness."

Lelouch ended the call. _Jeremiah's blind loyalty can be quite reassuring sometimes._ Then the teenager bent over the roof's railing.

_Everything's falling into place._

* * *

><p><em>"Who is it?"<em>

_A young man with slick black hair walked in the door. He lifted a lanyard. "James Barnes for Area 11 News. It's a pleasure to meet you, Kewell Soresi."_

_The orange-haired man stood up from his chair. "A reporter? What are you doing here? If you want to schedule an interview..."_

_"Don't worry, that's not what I'm here for." Lelouch Lamperouge smiled. "I have a proposition for you:"_

_"How would you like to move up in the world?"_

* * *

><p>Lelouch revisited the recent memory with a tinge of amusement. "Kewell, you will be the first pawn sacrificed."<p>

* * *

><p><strong>Soo... yeah! I think I'll work on Prince of Masks next, then R3 (finally) I'll come back to Fate's Curse after that, or earlier if it seems enough people are interested.<strong>


	4. Stage Set

…**Fu**. Even I'm addicted to this story.**

**MUST. WRITE. FOR. OTHER. STORIES.**

**Thanks to Ciel Moony, Reishin Amara, Dogmatix314, Orchamus, bakapervert, KnightOfHolyLight, OBSERVER01, Alex Retzer, Blacksword Zero, Kagami Kamiya, Ragez, Taira-keimei, Belle Morte Rising, SrgntDrew, XT3, notsofrilly, Varnock, Specterman626, EdoZero, Worker72, Lord Kolos, AyameRose, Slices, J.F.C., Lord Edric, KadyKarma18, Detective Ethan Redfield, Jarjaxle, le-maru, WolftheForsaken for reviewing!**

Enjoy!

"for dialogue"

_Italics for thought_ (or stress when just a word _or two_)

ReStage 4: Stage Set

Kewell Soresi, by nature, was not a happy man. He saw much more benefit in maintaining a professional attitude to his work and life, which were often one and the same.

However, this time, Kewell allowed himself a small, genuine smile. In a few moments, he would be leading a convoy with the 'assassin' who tried to kill Prince Clovis la Britannia. He knew Suzaku Kururugi probably wasn't the real assassin, but who cared? All that mattered was that Prince Clovis was willing to pretend he was.

In reality, it helped all those involved. Prince Clovis was spared from the embarrassment of being outwitted by terrorists, and Kewell would be probably be promoted for arresting the "assassin". _And that James Barnes gets an interview for a hot news story._

Quite frankly, Kewell knew little about the reporter who had contacted him. However, that hardly mattered. If the reporter decided to backstab him, to tell the world the truth, who would listen? Kewell had a prince of Britannia backing him now.

_Besides, what could one reporter do?_

"Lord Kewell, we're ready to move out."

The Pureblood knight nodded and began to mount his Sutherland. Turning around, he took stock of the convoy: 4 escorting Sutherlands surrounded Kururugi's armored transport. Right before his cockpit closed, he saw the viceroy sit in his throne, which lay on an improvised float—another armored transport.

Kewell cleared his throat before turning on his mic. "At your word, Your Highness."

A cold, haughty voice echoed back. "Proceed."

Just as the group began to move through the cleared streets, Kewell's phone rang. Closing his eyes in annoyance, he rerouted the call to his earpiece. "Who is it? I'm a bit busy right now."

"Are you? My bad, Kewell."

Kewell was silent for a moment, trying to recognize the voice. "Mr. Barnes? Is that you? You know full well that I'm busy." Then he furrowed his brow. "How did you get this number, Mr. Barnes? I don't recall ever giving you-"

"I'm sorry to disappoint, Kewell, but this isn't James Barnes. At least, not anymore."

It was then that Kewell began to feel that something was out of place. "What the hell do you mean by that? Who are you?"

"You can just call me Zero."

* * *

><p>"Think he's gonna show up?"<p>

Ohgi sighed. "Although I hate to say it, I doubt he will." He turned from the small television to look at his comrades. "I mean, no matter what connections he used to pull us out of jail, there's nobody in hell who could interrupt Clovis's little parade, never mind a high school student." He glanced at Kallen. "No offense, of course."

"None taken." The redhead was busy watching the TV. _No matter how you look at it, Suzaku Kururugi is escorted by at least five Sutherlands. There's just no way Lelouch could sneak in enough firepower to take them down._

* * *

><p>"Zero? What kind of name is that?" Kewell began to watch his Sutherland's navigation screen. The parade had just entered the main highway, where Britannians lined the road. "What are you planning Mr. Barnes?" Kewell scanned the roadside, to no avail. Nothing seemed out of the ordinary.<p>

An audible sigh was his reply. "James Barnes has been vacationing in Area 6 for the past two weeks, Kewell."

"You're crazy." Kewell hung up. _What the hell's his problem?_

As the procession continued, Kewell couldn't get rid of a nagging worry. _There must have been a reason for that call._ Turning on his mic back on, he addressed his fellow Purists. "Report. Any issues so far?"

One man responded from the ground ahead. "Everything's fine here." Similar replies followed in suit from the other Sutherlands, as well as from other guards posted along the parade route.

"See, you're overthinking things, Kewell…" Suddenly, a new thought hit him. _Jeremiah_.

_In all the work preparing, I forgot to contact Jeremiah._ Kewell sighed. _Oh well, he's sure to understand. In the end, this benefits the Purebloods the most."_

As if on cue, a voice cried out over the radio. "Lord Kewell, look!"

The Knight jolted upright. "What is it?" _How the hell am I supposed to know what to look for?_

A thud from behind answered Kewell's question. As he turned around, he came face-to-face with a Sutherland with red shoulderplates. Kewell froze in shock. _Only Purebloods use red-_

By the time Kewell was able to process that much, his arms had been ripped off by the opposing Sutherland's stun tonfas. While his machine fell onto its knees, Kewell could see that four other Sutherlands had likewise attacked Kewell's escort.

All of them wore red Pureblood shoulderplates.

_Are they here to rescue Kururugi? Or to threaten His Highness?_

The Sutherland in front of Kewell turned on its intercom. With a crackle, the Knightmare's speakers could be heard all along the road. "Kewell."

The Britannian officer recognized the voice of his superior. "Jeremiah? Is that you-?"

"Kewell Soresi," Jeremiah continued, "you are being placed under arrest for treason against the Holy Britannian Empire, as well as the attempted murder of His Highness Clovis la Britannia."

* * *

><p>"<em>How would you like to move up in the world?"<em>

_Kewell smiled. "Is this some kind of joke, Mr… Barnes?" The soldier gave Lelouch a doubtful glance._

_Lelouch motioned towards Kewell's computer. "If you'd like, you can check my page on the Area 11 News website."_

_Although he made no motion to do so, Kewell glanced at the black computer screen. If he had, he would have found a perfectly legitimate page on a perfectly capable reporter, James Barnes. _

_Unfortunately, the website provided no photo identification for this James Barnes, but there was little chance that Kewell would look further into that. All this, and more, Lelouch had considered before entering the room. Now he simply strode forth, reaching Kewell's desk._

"_Well, if you aren't going to check my identity, may I continue?"_

_Kewell neither nodded nor shook his head. He simply remained silent, trying to get a read on the young reporter._

_Regardless, Lelouch began to speak. "How would you feel if an attempt was made on Prince Clovis's life… only for the perpetrator to flee unpunished?"_

_Kewell's eyes flared. "If you're insinuating murder against the Viceroy, you will be placed in prison immediately."_

"_I would never dream of it." Lelouch raised his open hands as if to defend himself. "I'm just saying, if a terrorist were to make an attempt on Clovis's life, and got away..._

"_What are you saying?" Kewell narrowed his brow. "Something like that would **never** happen."_

"_Are you honestly that sure?" Lelouch leaned back and paused, as if thinking. Shrugging, he replied, "If you insist." Just as quickly as he had came, he walked back to the door. However, just as he opened the door to leave, he stopped._

_Turning halfway around, he lifted a card. "If you do wake up to reality, give me a call."_ _Dropping the card, he walked out the door, closing it soundly behind him._

* * *

><p>Realizing that his Sutherland was helpless in his superior's grasp, Kewell opened his cockpit. Standing up, the Knight spoke loudly enough for the surrounding crowd to hear. "Treason? What in God's name are you talking about, Jeremiah?" He pointed a finger to a motionless Suzaku. "He's the criminal!"<p>

For a moment, it looked as if Jeremiah was going to speak. However, he was interrupted by another voice. "…Kewell is right, Jeremiah."

And the speaker was none other than the Viceroy of Area 11. He spoke with a soft voice projected over the crowd by microphones. A voice that could put others to death with a single word.

But, in the end, it was just a voice.

Jeremiah hesitantly replied, "I apologize, Your Highness, for not informing you." The Pureblood leader opened his cockpit and likewise stood up. Then, like a lawyer at court, he declared, "_However**,**_ Kewell Soresi is deceiving you. Suzaku Kururugi is not the criminal; he is just the scapegoat." Lifting an accusatory finger, Jeremiah pointed at his subordinate. "Kewell is the true traitor behind your attempted assassination."

* * *

><p><em>Kewell stared at the closed door. "That man's crazy." He muttered to himself, "Nobody would dare attack Viceroy Clovis".<em>

_As if on cue, the phone began to ring. Kewell smiled to himself. "It's best I forget that he even existed". _

_He picked up the phone. "Kewell Soresi speaking."_

_"Kewell, it's me, Viletta. You probably won't believe this, but today, while Prince Clovis was visiting a prison..."_

* * *

><p><em>Lelouch quickly checked the bathroom stalls, making sure they were all unoccupied. Then he reached into his bag to grab a new lanyard with and ID reading 'Trent White', as well as a black cell phone.<em>

_After only a moment, that phone began to ring._

_Lelouch shook his head, clearing any thoughts remained. Trying to sound as pleasant as possible, he answered the phone. "Hello?"_

_"How did you do it?"_

_Even as Lelouch smiled, he pretended to sound curious. "Do what, Lord Kewell?"_

_"Don't play dumb with me; I should have you arrested right now!"_

_"I'm telling you, I have no idea what you-"_

_"Prince Clovis was found unconscious at a maximum security prison: the result of an apparent assassination attempt. You know something, don't you?"_

_"How dare you accuse me of such a thing." Lelouch replied calmly, "I am a loyal citizen of the Holy Britannian Empire."_

_Kewell was silent. __Truthfully, Kewell had no proof that "Mr. Barnes" was related to the attack._

_Lelouch privately smirked. "Now, if I **were** to be guilty of such a thing, there is no proof. Arresting me would just embarrass the Purebloods, since I'd eventually be found innocent due to lack of evidence… but that's why scapegoats were invented. Particularly candidates such as Suzaku Kururugi..."_

* * *

><p><em>Moments later, Lelouch Lamperouge passed through the bathroom door. As he did, he dropped of a small phone battery in the trash can. Further down the hallway he threw away the bits and pieces of a cell phone data chip, and just before he entered Jeremiah's room, he threw out the remainder of what had once been a cell phone.<em>

_Luckily, no one noticed the phone case in the trash can. However, if one had, he would have found a black phone case with a single word engraved in gold._

_It said "Penley".  
><em>

* * *

><p>"Is that so?" Prince Clovis rested his head on his right hand. <em>No matter who's found guilty, I'm safe from blame or embarrassment. Everything lies with the Purebloods.<em>

Jeremiah, on the other hand, was risking most of the career he'd built up over seven years. "Well, Your Highness, the first piece of evidence would be the bullet shells found at the crime scene. Forensics has published a report that these same shells appear identical to those issued to Kewell here."

Kewell immediately responded. "That's ridiculous! We have a forensics report on paper that links these bullets directly to a gun covered in that _Eleven's_ fingerprints." Kewell looked down at Suzaku with distaste. "Anybody with a brain could understand his motives! He's Suzaku _Kururugi_, son of Genbu Kururugi!"

Jeremiah didn't respond. "All of which makes him a very convenient scapegoat, doesn't it, Kewell? However, it was recently found that those bullet casings were fakes planted by some of your comrades." Jeremiah avoided mentioning that those fakes had been further replaced with bullets he'd taken from Kewell's desk.

Jeremiah continued, "That's not all. We also have multiple witness testimonies from the prison that the agents behind the assassination were in contact with one 'Mr. Soresi'. As well as this:" Jeremiah lifted a hand. In it he held what appeared to be a recording.

"We have a record of you calling the cell phone of the deceased Baron Penley two hours after the assassination attempt. The phone was not found on the Baron's body, and is believed to have been stolen by the assassins."

_Lord Penley's cell phone?_

Just as Kewell was contemplating what this meant, he recalled the number he'd used to contact Mr. Barnes… _No, I suppose he wasn't really Mr. Barnes, was he?_

Kewell was silent, slowly piecing together how everything had seemingly fallen apart around him. He was still silent when he was put in handcuffs, and he only spoke once he was in a police car, headed towards a temporary jail cell before being placed on trial. When he did, he uttered just one word.

"Zero."

_Does he think he can lock me up in a jail cell? What nonsense; __I'm of noble birth. I'll be proven innocent soon enough._

_And when I am, I will kill Zero._

* * *

><p>Jeremiah turned from the departing police car to face Prince Clovis, who hadn't even moved from his 'throne'. Bowing as low as he could, Jeremiah smoothly took charge. "If you will, Your Highness, me and my men will escort you back to your abode." He then turned.<p>

"Villetta, take Suzaku Kururugi out of His Highness's sight."

"Yes, my lord."

Jeremiah waited until the Villetta's Sutherland, Suzaku in hand, left the parade route. Although he wouldn't be following them, he knew that the Eleven had a small stop to make.

Then Jeremiah took his position at the head of the procession.

"At your word, Your Highmess."

* * *

><p>"Get off, Eleven."<p>

Suzaku quietly complied. Privately, he was still trying to process everything that had happened. _I was certain I was going to die tonight._

"Enter the building. When you're done, I'll take you back to court to officially clear you of your charges." Villetta's crisp, disdainful voice showed that the pilot didn't take particular pleasure in being an Eleven's driver.

Suzaku looked around. They'd stopped right in front of a warehouse. "Who's in there?"

"Why don't you go in and find out?"

For a moment, the Honorary Britannian hesitated. Squaring his shoulders, he opened the warehouse door.

The lights were off.

Suzaku looked back. _Is this really the right place?_ However, the Sutherland gestured for him to enter. Taking a cautious view inside, Suzaku slowly proceeded. The light from outside was just bright enough to illuminate part of the interior. Taking a few more steps, Suzaku found himself surrounded by old, discarded boxes.

Suddenly the door closed, engulfing Suzaku in darkness.

"I've been waiting for you, Suzaku."

Although he couldn't see him, Suzaku could hear that the man was behind him. "Who are you? What do you want with me?"

"Tsk, tsk. Quite aggressive, Suzaku. Is that how you treat the man who just saved your life?"

Suzaku squinted, attempting to see the speaker. "What do you mean?"

"I mean what I said."

Suzaku opened his mouth to speak, but suddenly the warehouse lights came on, temporarily blinding him. As he regained his vision, he saw someone who looked vaguely familiar.

The black-haired speaker continued, "Hello Suzaku, it's been seven years."

"...Lelouch?" Suzaku asked, with slight disbelief.

* * *

><p>"I must thank you, Jeremiah, for all your help."<p>

Jeremiah smiled as he tapped his transmitter. "Not at all, Your Highness. I was simply doing my duty."

"Still, to imagine that I had a traitor right under my nose. I must have been blind to trust him." Prince Clovis's voice carried a superficial tone of chagrin.

Just a week earlier, Jeremiah would have felt honored to be talking with Prince Clovis. However, now he had a prince of his own.

Politely, Jeremiah insisted, "Please don't say that. How was anyone to know? I myself considered Kewell one of my most trusted comrades."

Clovis heaved a small sigh, too small to be seen on camera or heard by anyone except Jeremiah. "I suppose. Well, I'll be counting on your help in the future, Jeremiah."

"Of course."

* * *

><p>"So you joined the military, Suzaku." It was less of a question than a statement.<p>

Suzaku didn't seem to notice, running a finger over the edge of the box he sat on. "Yeah…" Suzaku looked behind Lelouch, towards the warehouse door. "By the way, Lelouch, how did you get _them_ to bring me here?"

"I told them who I was."

Suzaku stared at Lelouch. "And they just believed you?"

Lelouch sighed. "Probably not. But Jeremiah does, and that's all I need right now."

"Then, are you still-"

"Hiding with the Ashfords? Yeah… It's not safe enough for us to reveal ourselves quite yet." Lelouch answered. "Which reminds me," Lelouch walked towards his old friend. Extending an arm, he asked, "Can you help me, Suzaku?"

Suzaku looked first at the offered hand. then at Lelouch's face. "Help you with what?"

Lelouch smirked. "Don't tell me you forgot what I swore to you, back when we separated?"

Suzaku sat for a moment, then his eyes widened as he realized. "You said that you would…"

"Obliterate Britannia." Lelouch continued. "And to do that, I need your help."

"…But, you said that seven years ago. We were just _kids_. You, a prince of Britannia, should know how impossible that is."

_But I already have, once,_ Lelouch thought wryly. Aloud, he responded, "A _former_ prince of Britannia. And it's precisely _because_ I was once a prince that I know that it's possible." He paused, "Unless you would rather be executed for killing members of the Royal Guard."

Suzaku jumped up. "H-How'd you know about that?"

Lelouch took a step back, withdrawing his extended arm. "The same way I know you have a geass."

Suzaku froze.

Lelouch smiled. He'd guessed right. _I need to use Suzaku to find C.C._ "I haven't told anyone, Suzaku, so you don't need to worry."

Suzaku didn't answer.

"...However... if you want to do something with your life, Suzaku, help me free Japan. _We can do it_." Lelouch put every ounce of conviction he could into that last sentence.

Suzaku still remained silent, to the extent that Lelouch wondered wryly if he'd forgotten how to speak.

When Suzaku still remained silent, Lelouch turned around. "You'll need some time to think things over, I figure. See you later, Suzaku." Quietly, Lelouch left the warehouse, leaving Suzaku speechless.

* * *

><p>Two hours later, Lelouch closed his eyes, allowing himself to fall into his bed.<p>

_Everything's happening too fast. __And I'm going to have to move even faster. Until I find C.C., I can't rely on geass to save the day._

_For now, the Purebloods will have to suffice as a substitute. _Lelouch opened his eyes. _And maybe Suzaku too._

Exactly how much grief had Suzaku caused in Lelouch's 'past'? _Anything would be better than having to fight that monster again._

Lelouch sighed. _And now he has geass..._

It had been a complete guess on Lelouch's part. _The only way that C.C. could have escaped Clovis's grasp was through Suzaku_.

With that in mind, Lelouch slowly drifted into an exhausted sleep. Before he did, though, he had one last thought.

_What exactly is Suzaku's geass?_

* * *

><p>"That's ridiculous, why's he being arrested?"<p>

Marika Soresi slammed a fist on her armrest. "My brother wouldn't even consider treason!"

Lliiana nodded sympathetically. "There must be a mistake."

Marika bit into her fist. "I swear, if they end up finding Kewell guilty, I'll go to Area 11 myself and-"

"Area 11, huh?"

Both pilots immediately recognized the voice. Turning away from the small mobile TV, Marika and Liliana stood to salute. "Your Highness!"

Cornelia li Britannia smiled gently. "At ease." Then she gestured to the TV. "Has something happened?"

Marika spoke up hesitantly. "W-well, Your Highness, it appears that my brother Kewell has been arrested for charges of treason."

"Has he?" Cornelia raised her brows. "Well, I wonder how that could have happened. I suppose that's one more reason that we should be on our way."

"'On our way', ma'am?"

Cornelia gestured around her. "The MEF has been all but eliminated, so I'd been thinking that it's about time that I visit Euphie."

Marika tensed in anticipation. "Does that mean…"

"We're heading off to Area 11. Prepare your things."

Marika smiled. "Yes, Your Highness!"

* * *

><p><strong>Before anybody says anything, I want to make clear that Marika Soresi and Liliana are real, canon CG characters. They were a part of the Valkyrie Squadron, and I just found out via the CG wiki that they were under Cornelia's command during R1.<strong>

**I'm also anticipating that some people will have something to say about Suzaku, particularly about him getting a geass. Judging from the lack of Suzaku-geass stories, I'm assuming that it's either taboo or highly unpopular (or maybe I'm just over-thinking things xD). Whatever the case, I just wanted to say that I thought this best fitted my plot, so I'm sticking to it. If you don't like the idea, give me some time to change your mind (plz? xD)**

** Besides, I think it would be fun to have Suzaku, who normally despises geass, to have one of his own xD. I won't spoil what is exactly, but I'll just say that, if Lelouch's canon geass was Absolute Authority, Suzaku's is Absolute Judgement (fitting for the guy who always wants to exact righteous judgement on himself, huh?).**

**Anyways, summer's nearly here! That should mean more frequent updates. Honestly, this story has had much more popularity than any of my other fanfics, so I'm tempted to make this my main. However, first I'm really going to try to make at least 1 more chap each for R3 and Prince of Masks. After that, I'll see...**

**Review!**


	5. First Encounter

…**Bleh…. Whenever I get on the computer to type, that's all I start thinking. Idk what happened, but I think the writer in me sorta went and died :( RIP**

**(o.o)D-D Time to dig him back up.**

**Btw, responding some of the reviews I got for my last chap… I don't really like Suzaku either :/ I just think he's a royal pain to work with. Still, having him this way just seemed to be the best action at the moment It was that, or C.C. gets recaptured by Clovis, which is too borrinnnggggg xD (not mentioning the fact that that leads to C.C. meeting Lelouch, which makes Lelouch slightly OP)**

**If you guys want a full-on rant about why a geass-possessing Suzaku is perfectly legitimate and may actually make him less of a pain in the ass, please PM me ^^**

**Oh well. You guys think he's a pain, I think he's a pain, and I plan on putting him in pain, so let's continue, shall we? ^^**

Enjoy!

"for dialogue"

_Italics for thought_ (or stress when just a word _or two_)

ReStage 5: First Encounter

"Jeremiah Gottwald!"

The green-haired noble looked up from his desk just in time to stare down the barrel of a gun. Blinking, his right hand fell from his computer mouse to under his desk, where he kept his pistol.

Then, his eyes drifted up the barrel to its owner. "Marika?"

An orange-haired girl looked down at him. "You've got one minute to explain yourself."

Jeremiah froze for a moment, and then took his hand away from his stored gun. "What do you mean?"

Marika glared. "What _could_ I mean, Jeremiah? Why'd you put my brother in prison?"

Jeremiah leaned forward, hands clasped together. He looked down in order to avoid Marika's gaze. "He was caught trying to assassinate-"

The gun barrel came to rest on his forehead. "I'm not looking for that crap that the media is spitting out. Tell me, Jeremiah, why'd you put Kewell behind bars? What'd he do to deserve this?"

Jeremiah sighed. _Why indeed. Of all people, why was Kewell chosen to be the scapegoat?_ "I simply found out that-." At that moment, Jeremiah heard a slight click. The releasing of the gun's safety catch. Looking up, he saw that the gun was held right in front of his nose. His eyes once again traced the gun to meet Marika's blue eyes.

Marika looked as if she was going to say something, but then she seemed to realize something. "Someone put you up to it, right? Someone forced you to arrest my brother, arrest your friend."

Jeremiah looked away.

"I'm right, aren't I?"

Jeremiah didn't say anything. Couldn't say anything.

At that moment, the doors to Jeremiah's office opened once more. "Lord Jeremiah, I need-"

Both Jeremiah and Marika turned their heads to see Villetta enter.

Immediately, Villetta took out her gun. "Stand down, Marika."

For a tense moment, everybody was silent.

Then Jeremiah forced a weak laugh. "Is this how us Purists should act? Lower your weapon, Marika. You too, Villetta."

It took a moment of hesitation, but Marika eventually complied. Irritated, she turned to leave.

Before she did, Jeremiah told her, "It's something out of my hands, Marika." His eyes drifted over to meet Marika's. "If you want to prove Kewell innocent, you're going to need to find Clovis's real assassin."

Marika froze for a moment, then turned around. Face emotionless, she asked, "Does this mean you think he's innocent?"

Jeremiah faked a smile. "How long have Kewell and I worked together, Marika?" _Hopefully this will focus her suspicion off me._

In fact, his hands were shaking slightly, slightly unnerved that Marika was able to see his doubt. _Oh Your Highness, of all people, why Kewell?_

* * *

><p>Out in the school courtyard, Lelouch's fingers suddenly stopped typing. On the computer screen, a purple-haired woman was walking out of Clovis's royal car. "Why the hell is Cornelia here?" Lelouch muttered.<p>

_This is too soon…_ _I still need to find C.C.!_

Just as he began to wonder, Lelouch saw Cornelia meet Clovis… along with Euphie. _In other words, she was going to head to Area 11 regardless of Clovis's death?_ Lelouch sighed. "If it was going to be like this anyways, I should have killed that bastard when I had the chance."

"Who do you want to kill?"

Lelouch looked up from his bench with a start. Kallen took that moment to glance down at the computer monitor. "I've been meaning to ask why you kept him alive."

Lelouch closed his laptop. "It's pointless for me to tell you right now, so it's pointless for you to ask."

The edges of Kallen's lips turned down slightly. "Tell me, Lelouch. When are you going to answer my questions?"

Lelouch smiled in response. "Such as?"

Kallen resisted the urge to wipe that annoying smile of Lelouch's face. "You told me…" Kallen turned slightly red. "earlier… that you were just the key to something else. What did you mean?"

Lelouch thought for a moment, as if having forgotten. "Ah, you mean when you were in the show-"

Kallen placed a finger over her lips, glancing around. The last thing she needed was for someone to misunderstand. "Yeah, yeah, when we were there. What did you mean?"

Lelouch was barely listening. _Wait, maybe I can use this to my advantage._ Closing his eyes, he massaged his temple. _If I remember, Ohgi told me, a long time ago, that the first terrorist group Cornelia went after was called… Blood of… _"Hey Kallen, isn't there a terrorist group nearby called Blood of the… Samurai was it?"

Kallen blinked, surprised by the change in subject. "Maybe. But what does that have to do about…"

Lelouch suddenly stood up, idea forming in his mind. "Tell Ohgi and the rest of your friends to get ready to move out. Guns, explosives, anything and everything that could be useful in combat."

Kallen crossed her arms. "And why should I do that?"

Lelouch moved to go around her. "You said you wanted to find out who I'm the 'key' to? You'll find out, so get back to your hideout and have everyone ready to move out in two hours."

Kallen was silent for a moment. Then she wheeled around to face Lelouch. "Wait, how do you know where our hideout is?"

"There isn't a lot I don't know." Then he walked away.

Kallen stood still, unsure of how to react. Slowly, she took out her cellphone.

"Hey, Ohgi, you won't believe this, but…"

* * *

><p>"Thanks for doing this, Mr. Cather."<p>

"Don't worry, young man. It's the least I could do for the boy who's saved me from debt ."

Lelouch smiled as he inspected the black helmet Mr. Cather had provided. It felt like it had been too long since he'd held his Zero mask.

The elderly man seemed to notice Lelouch's gaze. "By the way, Lelouch, what is that costume for?"

Lelouch's smile lessened slightly. _If only I had geass._ "It's for a friend of mine, but I don't know where it'll end up. It's probably best if you forgot about it."

The tailor opened his mouth to ask more, but then he shut it. "I suppose I will. Have a nice day, Lelouch."

Lelouch put the mask in his bag. "I'll see you around, Mr. Cather." As he turned, his fingers strayed inside his bag, where a black gun lay.

"If you ever need some new clothes, Lelouch, you know who to call."

Lelouch's hand froze, hovering over the concealed weapon. After a moment, he withdrew it. "…Of course, Mr. Cather."

* * *

><p>Outside the tailor's store, Lelouch heard his cellphone begin to ring.<p>

"Hello?"

"It's me, Your Highness."

"Ah, Jeremiah. So, did you look into that matter I asked about?"

"Yes, my lord. As you predicted, Cornelia and Clovis are planning for an anti-terrorist attack. As of yet, the location is unknown."

Lelouch smiled. _As expected, Cornelia can't stand being out of combat for too long._ "Understood. For now, just do as Cornelia says."

"Yes, Your Highness."

"Also, did you put the equipment where I asked?"

"Not yet, but it should be there in about fifteen minutes. The armory here is quite well-supplied, so they're unlikely to notice anything missing."

"Good. Thanks again. I'm hanging up."

"...Please wait, my lord."

Lelouch stopped, a second away from taking off his Bluetooth. "What is it?"

"… Your Highness, was it really necessary to frame Kewell?"

Lelouch raised his brows. "Kewell?" _If memory serves me, Kewell's the first man who tried to kill Jeremiah after that "Orange" ordeal. Not the perfect comrade._

"Yes, Kewell. He's an old and loyal friend… not to mention the fact that his sister intends to kill me for arresting him."

Lelouch frowned. Before, Jeremiah would never had questioned Lelouch's actions. _Maybe because his Purist connections haven't been severed yet._

"Your Highness?"

Lelouch glanced around for anybody who could overhear. "Fine. I'll do what I can to clear him of his charges. Would that be fine?"

"Thank you, Your Highness!"

"If that's all, I'm hanging up." Lelouch took off his Bluetooth.

He began to make another call. Before it connected, he muttered, "Everyone will find out the real assassin, anyways."

Then the phone connected. "Hello?"

"Hello, this is L.L. I just wanted talk to you about an… _alternate_ way for you to pay me back your debts."

* * *

><p>"Why did you do it?"<p>

The green-haired girl looked up from the box of pizza. "What are you talking about, Suzaku?"

The brown-haired teenager ran a hand through his hair. "You know what I mean, C.C. Why did you give me this… power?"

C.C. frowned at soggy slice of pizza. "It's pretty straightforward, really. You wanted power to reform Britannia from within, and I don't want the Britannian military catching me."

"That's it?" Suzaku sighed. "Something's telling me that you aren't telling me the whole story."

C.C. smiled. "That may be true, and it might not."

Suzaku sighed. "I don't get you at all." He turned around. "I have to leave for duty. Be careful, since the ghetto isn't always a nice place to be."

"Do you know where Lelouch is?"

Suzaku froze. "L-Lelouch? Who are you talking about?"

C.C. smiled. "I'm talking about Lelouch vi Britannia, who else?"

Suzaku looked like he was still frozen, but C.C. noticed as the Eleven clenched a fist. "I have no idea. I'm pretty sure he died seven years ago." Suzaku continued to leave.

"You're bad at lying, you know that, boy?"

Suzaku didn't say anything, and instead just left through a faded white doorway.

C.C. just leaned back, resting her head on a wooden bed frame. "What should I do, Marianne? I'd like to find your boy, but this one's also quite interesting. He hates having geass, yet it's so perfectly suited for him." C.C. smiled. "Maybe I'll watch him a little longer."

She rolled her head to the side. "Maybe it's about time I gave Lelouch geass as well. I wonder how he's grown."

C.C. chuckled. "No, I'm not a sadist. At least, that's what I'd like to say."

* * *

><p>Lelouch flexed his fingers again. Black gloves flexed back.<p>

_It really has been too long since I wore this._ Lelouch decided.

The black-clad man slowly opened the driver seat door. Getting out, his eyes scanned the building in front of him.

It was a largely unimpressive apartment building, with chipped grey paint along the walls. Practically indistinguishable from the other gloomy buildings in the ghetto.

_I'm just glad Ohgi was willing to tell me, two years ago._

Taking a deep breath, Lelouch turned on his mask's microphone and wrapped his cape around himself. Standing straight, he made his way to the door.

When he knocked on the wooden door, he almost immediately heard the sound of footsteps.

After a moment, the door opened, and Lelouch found himself facing a submachine gun.

"Who are you?" Ohgi's familiar face appeared from the darkness in the building.

Lelouch smiled. "I am Zero." He could hear how his mask's speaker projected his words into the building, echoing so that everyone hidden inside could hear. "I was told that my friend mentioned my coming."

He could see the recognition dawn on Ohgi's face. "You're that high schooler's friend?"

Lelouch smiled. "You could say that."

Ohgi glanced behind Zero. Finding no one, he jerked his head inside. "Get in."

As Lelouch complied, he became aware of the fact that there were now at least ten guns trained on him. "Quite the warm welcome, Kaname Ohgi."

The rebel leader didn't look amused. "How do you know my name?"

Zero continued to look at the array of firearms pointing at him. "There isn't a lot I don't know, Ohgi."

Ohgi sighed. "You're just like that other guy." The terrorist sat down on a nearby crate. "First thing's first. Take of your mask."

Lelouch almost did. He raised his right hand and grasped the side of his mask. _Taking it off will prevent a betrayal like last time._ _On the other hand… the one of the reasons I wore this mask in the first place was to instill respect and obedience._ He lowered his hand. "Not this time." he thought aloud.

Ohgi made as if to say something, but then Tamaki walked up to Lelouch. Taking a fistful of his black costume, he leaned threateningly towards him. "Not this time?" He said mockingly. "Not this time? What do we look like, a bunch of kids? You think we can't shoot you?"

"If you shoot me, you're just proving that you're all kids." Lelouch gently, but firmly, took Tamaki's hand of his cloak. "None of you will ever be able to destroy Britannia like this."

"Destroy Britannia?" Tamaki was about to say more, but he was silently pulled aside by Ohgi.

The terrorist leader studied Zero, trying to understand his words. "…What do you mean by that… Zero? Do you think that's what we Japanese are fighting for?"

Lelouch took a step closer, despite being at gunpoint. "Tell me, Ohgi. If you aren't fighting to destroy Britannia, to free Japan from Britannia's corrupt clutches, then what are you fighting for? How is what you do any different from the whining of a child?"

Zero took another step closer. "If you want your rebel acts to be worthwhile, don't buzz around like a mosquito, destined to be killed." He reached forward and grabbed Ohgi by the jacket, not violently, but not kindly either. "Wake up, Kaname Ohgi. Stop being a terrorist and start being a revolutionary. To free Japan you need to take your sword and ram it right through Britannia's chest!"

Ohgi was silent for a moment, and Zero knew that he had struck a chord with the terrorist. But then the man shoved Lelouch's hand off himself.

"That must be easy for you to say, huh? Hiding behind a mask; I bet you never shot a man yourself, nor see your best friend die right in front of you!"

Lelouch grimaced. _Euphie. Rolo. _"You couldn't be farther from the truth, Ohgi!" Then he stopped himself. He'd almost said something he shouldn't.

Motionless, he let his eyes scan the entire room. Apparently his outburst had shocked more than he had intended. Nobody moved.

Lelouch brought himself to his full, intimidating height. "I have nothing more to say. If you want to stop hiding in the ghettos, you'll help me save your comrades."

"Our comrades?"

"That's the reason I came here." Lelouch sighed. "Cornelia plans to attack the Blood of the Samurai group."

For a moment, everyone was silent, taking the information in. "How do you know?" Ohgi asked.

Lelouch turned around. "I told you, there's very little that I don't know. And I know that, if we don't go, Cornelia will wipe them all out."

Blocking his path was one Kallen Kozuki. For a while, they just stared at each other. To Lelouch, it almost felt as if she could see right through his mask, through his guise.

After a moment, she stepped aside, letting Zero leave for the door.

"I suppose we owe you one for saving us.

Zero smiled. "That, you owe to Lelouch. This is just for the sake of our Japanese compatriots."

* * *

><p>"Commander Hideki!"<p>

A middle-aged man turned around to see a young Japanese soldier approach. "What is it?"

The soldier straightened his back and saluted. "Private Juro reporting! A van has just passed our perimeter outpost and is headed this way."

"What? Who is it?"

The soldier, still in salute, reported back, "According to the outpost, it was driven by Kaname Ohgi."

Hideki blinked twice. "Kaname… Ohgi?" He rubbed his chin. "Ah, isn't he the man who took over Naoto's squad? What's he doing here?"

"According to the outpost, there's a man who Mr. Kaname needs to introduce you to."

* * *

><p>"This is very much like you, Cornelia." said the blond prince as he fixed his collar. "I'd wanted to at least introduce you to some other noble families in the area."<p>

"So I can just watch them fawn over the royal family? I think not, younger Brother." Cornelia smiled. "Politics is your field, war is mine." She turned attention to outside the G-1's windows. "How is it that your unable to tame these Elevens after seven years of rule? I hear even Area 15 has settled down already. I knew I should have come here sooner."

Clovis suddenly became quite interested in his hands. Avoiding his sister's gaze, he said, "Well, these Eleven terrorists are extremely good at hiding. If you want to blame someone, blame my ministers. I think…" His voice faded off as he felt Cornelia stare at him. "Or not, my dear sister."

Not before muttering something inaudible, Cornelia turned to look out of the G-1's windows once again. "Still, the fact that Elevens took control of an entire mine without anyone noticing is quite unbelievable."

Clovis licked his chapped lips. "W-Well then, how about we start the attack now?" He looked hopefully at his sister.

Cornelia smiled slightly. "That sounds reasonable. I'm interested in seeing how my brother takes care of these terrorists."

Clovis sighed inwardly. Turning to look at the small mountain ahead of them, Clovis lifted an imperious arm. "All forces, proceed to wipe out the enemy! Don't leave a single Eleven standing."

* * *

><p>"…Who are you?"<p>

Hideki turned to Ohgi, gesturing towards Zero. "Who is this clown?"

Ohgi seemed hesitant to reply. "He's… the man behind our escape from jail."

The greying man raised his brows. "The one who almost assassinated Clovis?"

"The very one."

Hideki turned to the black-clad man. "If that's true, then you have my respect. Not many w what you attempted." Then he started to glare. "But that doesn't explain why you came here in such a rush. Nor why you hide behind the suspicious mask. If I didn't know better, I'd say you're either a lunatic or a spy."

Lelouch tried to subtly bring himself to his full height. "I did so because I had no other choice. I came with a warning."

"A warning?"

Lelouch took a moment to collect himself, to make sure that he was mentally prepared for the ordeal that followed. "Britannian forces are going to be attacking this location."

"What?" Hideki almost took a step back in surprise. "We've heard of no such thing. How would you know…"

"Commander Hideki!"

A soldier ran down the tracks towards Hideki and Zero. "Private Kenshin reporting, sir!" Although he stood with a salute, he's chest heaved up and down slightly, indicating that he'd been in a rush. "Britannian forces have us surrounded!"

Hideki turned away from Zero and towards the soldier. "What?"

The private was sweating slightly, and Lelouch guessed it wasn't purely from fatigue.

The terrorist leader turned back to Lelouch. "Zero, or whatever your name is. How did you know-"

"Isn't the more important question: 'what are we going to do now'?" Lelouch interrupted calmly. "Britannian forces have us surrounded, most likely commanded by the veteran known as Cornelia li Britannia." Lelouch offered his hand. "Give me command here. I can drive them off."

Hideki glanced down at the offered hand, then spat. "I told you I'm grateful for saving my comrades, but that's hardly enough to make me trust you. For all I know, a Britannian spy is lurking behind that mask." Hideki pulled out his gun.

Zero sighed audibly. "Then you leave me no choice." With that, he finally flung his cape back, revealing what lay underneath.

Everyone nearby instantly took a step back. "T-T-That's!"

Lelouch lifted his arms up to grant a better view at the dimly-glowing device on his chest. "An explosive charge with liquid Sakuradite. Enough to kill everyone here! If you kill me, we will all die here." He lowered his arms. "However, if you all follow my orders to the letter, we can win this battle."

Hideki's gun arm was shaking slightly, but he soon steadied it. "You're crazy! You're gonna let your life get in the way of our fight?"

"Quite the opposite! If you do not do as I say, you will die anyways. As the Blood of the Samurai is now, you _cannot_ win."

Lelouch looked around, finding himself slightly amused at Ohgi and Kallen's shocked faces. "You all have two options: either live with me, or die with me!"

* * *

><p><strong>YES! I'm back! (Don't know for how long though :) As I said, the writer part of me is still mostly dead, so I really hope the quality was good enough for your tastes.**

**Anyways, what do you guys think? I don't want to spoil anything, but let's just say that not everything is going to go as well as Lelouch may think ^^**

**Btw, although I mentioned I'd have no OC's, I prefer to give nameless characters names to make them seem more real. Trust me, Hideki will disappear preeeetty soon.**

**Review!**


	6. First Stage

**Edit: I've reread this until my eyes got blurry, so I think I'll just send it out as it is. Hope it's alright!**

**Not much too say today, just that this is very quickly becoming a main fic for me. On the other hand, I'm looking at Prince of Masks and thinking, "wow, I could have written that a LOT better" hopefully it's a good sign that I'm seeing flaws in my own work, but I just hope it doesn't happen to this fanfic (in a good way).**

**Quick note: Strangely enough, it seems like there are a number of real-war-veteran critics who are especially insulted by my lack of real warfare knowledge. So I'm just quickly saying that, yes, I've never been in the military before, so...sorry?**

Enjoy!

"for dialogue"

_Italics for thought_ (or stress when just a word _or two_)

ReStage 6: First Stage

"So these are the Resistance's infamous M.A.T.T.'s?"

"Mobile Anti-Tank Turrets." Commander Hideki glanced briefly at the dull-brown pieces of machinery. "Yeah, they're infamous. Infamous for bad accuracy. But it's the best we got, any complaints?" The man was still disdainful of having to bow down to a stranger.

Behind his mask, Lelouch smiled. "Quite the opposite. Even if they're inaccurate, they can still serve their purpose." He looked at the twin barrels on each turret on wheels. _If what Tohdoh told me years ago was correct, MATT's compensate for inaccuracy with firepower. _"How many do you have? And how many people here know how to use them?"

Commander Hideki couldn't resist puffing his chest in pride. "68. Enough to cover all 68 entrances. And we have more than enough personnel on hand to man them all." He waved a hand at a flood of people running towards the MATT's.

Zero's voice rumbled through the interior of the abandoned mine. "Perfect." Carefully making sure his body explosive was hidden, he walked up to a metal stage, the makeshift center of operations for the terrorist group. Turning to face the assembled MATT's, as well as the pilots entering them, he whispered to Hideki, "Would you mind introducing me, Commander?"

Hideki didn't give Lelouch a response, but instead yelled at the top of his lungs. "A-ttention!"

Lelouch was pleased to see that all personnel in the area had stopped what they were doing and turn to the commander. Although he didn't know much about this 'Hideki', apparently he had his subordinates' respect, if not loyalty.

Commander Hideki shouted once again. "Everyone! Beside me is our leader for this battle, sent by our superiors. Due to confidential reasons, his identity is to remain a secret. Follow his orders as you would mine!"

Lelouch heard murmurs arise as people evaluated the masked man before them. As they rose, he murmured, amused, "Thank you."

Hideki grumbled back. "I'm not doing this for you. How would my men fight, knowing they were being held hostage by a lunatic in a mask?" Then he turned his attention to the 100-some MATT pilots. "Am I clear?"

"Yes, sir!"

Zero pulled his legs together, standing erect. "Japanese comrades! My name is Zero! As Commander Hideki mentioned, I cannot reveal my identity. However, I can guarantee that, should you follow my orders, we will win this battle!" Zero raised a hand imperiously. "In a moment, I will assign you all call signs. Once you have received your call sign, follow the railroads to your combat stations."

The moment he stepped off the stage, murmurs arose once again. However, Zero ignored them and walked towards the closest MATT. Inside were two pilots, a driver and a gunner. "You are MATT-1." He pointed towards a railroad path to his left. "Move out, but stop 50 meters from your regular position. Make sure to stay out of enemy view."

Then he moved onto the next machine. And the next after that.

* * *

><p>Clovis resisted the urge to yawn. "Any sign of the enemy yet, Bradley?"<p>

The obese general glanced at the mountain in view ahead. "Not yet, Your Highness. Our tanks are having trouble closing in on the mine without breaking the encirclement. We have reliable intel that the terrorists have anti-tank weaponry, so our forces are moving on the cautious side."

"That's the wrong approach, Bartley."

The general turned to Cornelia. "I-Is that so, Your Highness? I-I had no idea."

Cornelia sighed. "While taking caution might work in normal warfare, you cannot forget that, in this case, we're fighting terrorists. Given the limited organization and intelligence of standard guerilla forces, it's easy to guess that they had no idea we were coming. This is part of the reason why even our forces didn't know the operation target until the last minute."

"Your point, Cornelia?" Although he tried to sound as polite as possible, Clovis couldn't care less about tactics. What was more important was finishing the operation and getting back to the comfortable life of propaganda and politics.

Cornelia glowered slightly at the interruption. "The _point_, my dear brother, is that slowly approaching only weakens the surprise factor that we had. By now, the enemy terrorists have probably organized themselves and are ready to use the afore-mentioned anti-tank weaponry. The better choice would have been to send in a strike force of Knightmares to disrupt their base of operations. Done correctly and this battle could already be over."

Clovis sighed. "Which is why you are a general and I'm a viceroy. I know I'm not as war-savvy as you, dear sister, but that's because I only need the basics." He motioned to a large group of tanks in front of him, accompanied by the occasional Sutherland. While the G-1 Command Center was staying in place, the force in front slowly closed in on the small mountain ahead. "As our attack force beats the enemy into submission, our encirclement will catch anybody who tries to flee. You can just sit here and watch, dear sister."

* * *

><p>"Ohgi, are the charges planted?"<p>

Ohgi's voice came back, slightly strained. "Partially. We've got 30 of the 68 entrances covered. We'll get the rest done soon enough." After a moment's hesitation, Ohgi asked, "…but, what's the point of this? I don't see why we need to place explosives where the turrets are going to be anyways."

Lelouch smiled. "You'll see soon enough. Make sure all the explosives are all wired to my computer."

"Minami's checking the transmitters. Also… you realize we're surrounded, right? And they're tanks are getting closer by the minute."

Lelouch smiled. "I've hacked into their IFF codes, so I'm well aware. Thanks for telling me, Ohgi. Contact me if anything else goes wrong."

A very different voice reached him from behind. "Do you really think we'll win?"

Lelouch turned to see Kallen looking over his shoulder at his laptop. "I don't think, Kallen. I know."

Kallen sighed. "I don't get why you can be so confident."

Lelouch smiled. "We will win because we must."

"That's all easy to say, isn't it? But, if you look at reality, we're completely surrounded. And it may not just be Clovis out there in that G-1, it could be Cornelia."

Lelouch smiled. "I sure hope so, Kallen." Then he turned to his laptop. "Either way, it's because we're surrounded that we will win."

A buzz on the radio prompted Lelouch to pick up his communicator. Holding it by his mask, he listened in.

"…Zero, the enemy tanks are now 500 meters away."

Lelouch smiled. "Then it's time to show the Britannian Empire our might." Switching the broadcast signal, he ordered. "Japanese soldiers! It's our time to shine; our time to pay Britannia for 7 years of occupation. Follow my orders and we shall win this! That I swear!"

* * *

><p>"Your Highness! The terrorists have appeared!"<p>

Clovis leaned forward in his throne. "Are you sure? I don't see anything."

General Bartley was leaning over a digital map in the center of the room. "My lord, it appears that several M.A.T.T.'s have appeared from the mine and opened fire on the encirclement. They're on the other side of the mine, out of the G-1's view."

Clovis frowned, "If I remember, Intel said the MATT's were low-accuracy artillery of some form. Not much of a threat. Whatever the case, send Jordon's squad from our reserves over there. It's possible that they're planning on breaking the encirclement. If our tanks haven't already, order them to fire at will."

"Yes, Your Highness."

Cornelia sighed. "You seem quite relaxed, Clovis. Even though your men are being fired upon as we speak." _MATT…? I can swear I've heard that before…_

Clovis smiled. "As I said, the artillery that the Elevens have is sub-standard. I'd be surprised if they managed to land a single shot, much less take down my subordinates." Then he rested his head on his hand. "Besides, tank units are readily expendable."

Meanwhile, General Bartley was holding his communicator. "What was that? Can you repeat that?"

Clovis raised his chin slightly at Bartley's tone. "What is it, Bartley?"

The general slowly lowered his headset, and then glanced at the map. "Your Highness, Tank Unit 6 requests further orders. Apparently they're being pinned down by the terrorists' artillery.

"Pinned down? That's ridiculous." With slow steps, Clovis, as well as Cornelia, walked to the table the map was displayed on. At the center were a series of red dots, the enemy force. Around them was a ring of blue tanks, with Knightmares interspersed. "Our tanks should still be outside their guns' effective range-"

In one part of the encirclement, opposite Clovis, a LOST sign appeared over a blue tank. Followed by another.

The LOST signs began at the 12 o'clock position and were gradually sweeping to the sides. It was a slow process, but the LOST signs were accumulating gradually.

"Focused Fire."

Clovis, only mildly shocked, turned to look at Cornelia. "What did you say?"

Cornelia's eyes were still focused on the map. "You said they weren't that accurate, but it looks like the enemy has at least 30 MATT's on the other side of the encirclement. Focus all that firepower in one spot and casualties are inevitable. Then all the enemy commander has to do is move the point of focus along the encirclement." Then the princess moved her hands over the mountain on the map. "You said they don't have that kind of range? You forgot that we're fighting against forces on a mountain. The added height probably gives their artillery increased range."

_Still, doing so exposes the artillery to attacks from the sides._ "Clovis, send some of your Knightmare squads over to flank the enemy artillery. Do you have any more Intel on the terrorists, like how many of those MATT's they have? Or the weapon's specs?"

Clovis bit his lip. He looked like he wanted to speak, but he chose to remain silent. After a moment of thought, he sighed. "Alright, that may be best… Bartley, you heard what Cornelia said! Send part of our reserves over to flank the turrets."

After a moment, another officer brought a file. Clovis took it and handed it to Cornelia. "This is what we have on the MATT."

He glanced at Cornelia for complaints. Getting none, he added, "Also, what is our main force doing? Send them in already!"

* * *

><p>"Zero, the Britannian forces have begun to close in!"<p>

Lelouch seemed unfazed. "Are any Gloucesters among the attackers?"

"Not that I can see."

Lelouch smiled. _Cornelia's still underestimating us. I suppose something as basic as this won't interest her._ "Thank you for the info, Hideki. Ohgi, are the charges planted yet?"

"...Just finished, Zero."

Lelouch closed his laptop. "Got it. Get ready to move out."

"...Understood."

_As long as I can keep the Britannians following my rhythm, everything should work just fine. _Changing frequencies, Lelouch began to bark orders. "MATT-1 through 36, move into firing position. Focus fire on the spot exactly 450 meters south of Point A. MATT-37 and on, continue your barrage. Make sure to focus your fire 450 meters out, 18 degrees east of north. Don't fire even a degree off target!"

"Yes sir!"

* * *

><p>"Viceroy Clovis, 36 new hostiles have appear-!"<p>

The officer's shout was cut off by a volley of artillery shells no more than 100 meters away.

Landing right on Clovis's attack force. Tanks and Sutherlands alike scattered amid the flurry of fatal artillery fire.

"Quite impressive."

Clovis turned to see Cornelia frowning. "Tell me, Clovis. Do your men always scatter like flies when faced with actual combat? And since when did you concentrate all your forces so closely together, if you knew the terrorists had access to artillery?"

Clovis couldn't respond. Eventually, he shook his head. "Bartley! What are you standing around there for? Command all units to attack at once!"

Bartley was slow to respond. "Our tanks, especially in the encirclement, have already opened fire, but the turrets are outside the range of our Sutherlands."

As Clovis watched, he realized that a few of the red dots had indeed disappeared. But not nearly as fast as his attack force was. "What are you waiting for, an invitation? Order all units to charge, Bartley."

The general moved to do so, but was stopped by a cold, firm hand. "Stop." Cornelia ordered, "Order all forces to retreat to a distance of 550 meters from the target. Have the reserve forces continue their flanking of the enemy forces."

Clovis and Bartley stood, frozen. "Pardon, Sister?" Clovis said, "Are you saying that we should retreat? Retreat from these _Elevens_?"

Cornelia sighed. "Were you always this foolish, Clovis?" Cornelia turned her head towards Bartley. "Order the withdrawal. This is an order as Chief General of the Imperial Army!"

With a glance at Clovis, Bartley complied. "Yes, Your Highness."

After a long minute of artillery fire right in front of the G-1, the attack force had fully retreated. At least, the remnants of it did. Of the sixty-so tanks and Sutherlands, only a third remained.

"It's not as bad as it looks." reminded Cornelia.

A look at the map surprised Clovis. Even if the attack force had been hurt, the encirclement was relatively untouched.

"49 lost tanks and 19 lost Sutherlands, including the ones in the rear encirclement." Cornelia remarked. "Not very impressive, younger brother. Now, if only you had your forces spread out a bit more…"

Clovis made as if to say something, but Cornelia stopped him. "Now it's your turn to be the observer. Watch what a real attack force can do."

Looking on the map, Clovis saw that blue icons remained on the mountain's far side. "Aren't those…"

"The reserve forces you sent to flank the turrets." Cornelia, bending over the map, looked at Clovis. "Do you know what is most effective against artillery? Close combat."

Clovis only watched as the blue forces, indicated as Sutherlands, wreaked havoc on the far side of the mountain. Although a small percentage of the Sutherlands were marked LOST, soon more than 75% of the far red dots on that half of the mountain had disappeared.

"I swear, sometimes I wonder if I should force you to redo your education in the Royal Academy. How don't you know the most basic of battle tactics?"

Clovis cringed. He might have retorted, but he was interrupted by Bartley. "Your Highness, the enemy forces facing us have withdrawn."

Clovis tried to smile. "They're finally retreating, huh, Cornelia?"

"Retreating into a mountain?" Cornelia practically snorted. "That's like digging your own grave. It's more likely that they're planning on reinforcing their rear. Which leaves their front completely open." _The enemy is finally dancing to our rhythm._

_About time_.

Cornelia turned. "Tell all forces to completely withdraw to 550 meters, before our attack force is taken by surprise. Make sure that our flanking forces spread out: let the Elevens waste more of their ammunition, then we'll charge."

"Where are you going, Your Highness?"

Cornelia smiled. "I'm going to lead the attack. I'd like to see the face of the guy who so blatantly treated my brother like a fool." _Before I kill him_. Then she reached for her communicator. "Guilford, get your Gloucester ready. We're going to move out."

* * *

><p>"Zero! 29 of our own have been wiped out!"<p>

Lelouch smiled. "Is that so?"

"You don't seem that concerned." noted Hideki.

"That's because it's about time to move into Stage 2." Lelouch turned on his headset. "All forces, head to extraction point A. Immediately." With that, he walked into a cargo elevator. "Ohgi, how's your team?"

The noise that came back was scratchy, filled with noise. "We're ready by the exit. We brought all the equipment you asked for."

"Good. I'll be there shortly."

* * *

><p>"Cornelia, all the terrorist forces are withdrawing into the mountain."<p>

"Is that so, Guilford? Including the ones on the other side of the mountain?"

"Yes, Your Highness."

Cornelia smiled. She mused, "The cornered rats are going to give their last stand in their headquarters? Figures. If they'd stayed out, they'd just end up leaving holes in their defenses." Pushing the ignition, Cornelia shot out of her Knightmare transport, kicking a wave of dust behind her. "All Knightmare units, attack!"

After winding her path across trees and brush, the ground began to slope up towards the mountain's peak. At the first empty entrance, Cornelia jumped onto the railroad lines. Gun at the ready, she quickly scanned the interior tunnel.

Empty as far as her Gloucester could see.

Jumping to align her landspinners with the railroad tracks, she sped inside. As she did, Sutherlands followed in the other 67 entrances, some over destroyed Japanese turrets.

After only a moment, she could see light at the end of the tunnel. Light that was faintly obstructed by a shadow at the end's center. Lifting her oversized rifle, Cornelia fired a short burst. She smiled as her bullets were met with a small explosion. Not dropping speed, she rushed through the smoke. She jumped over the obstruction, turning around, gun raised.

_As I thought_.

The 'obstruction' that she had earlier seen from the tunnel was now burning at her feet. Looking around, she found that a number of other turrets had faced similar fates at the hands of her subordinates.

_Those stupid Elevens thought they could surprise us by using these turrets in an ambush inside their own base. It would have been amazingly effective, if not for that fact that it was idiotically predictable._

Turning on her machine's mic, Cornelia taunted, "Come out, wretched Elevens! Your last effort has failed. This is checkmate for you all."

Despite her words, not a single soul was to be seen in the abandoned mine, expect for her subordinates, who were piling into the rebel base.

Looking back at the turret smoldering below, she froze.

There wasn't anyone in the turret. Not even a corpse.

* * *

><p>Sitting beside a large boulder, Zero smiled. "No, Cornelia. This time, it's checkmate for you." Open laptop in his arms, he stood and turned toward the towering vehicle that was a G-1 Command Center.<p>

Walking over a Britannian corpse, Lelouch twisted his head towards a certain Japanese commander. "Commander Hideki. I expect that you and your men will be capable of escaping now. The majority of the Britannian Knightmares have been taken care of, so I hope you will be able to keep the encirclement unaware. I would prefer if the other Britannians did disturb my work here until the last possible second." With the word 'work', he jerked his head slightly towards the humming G-1. Then he turned his attention to his laptop.

"Unfortunately, it seems like you'll need to find a new headquarters."

With that, he pressed a key on his laptop.

* * *

><p>Cornelia felt a chill run down her spine. It was a feeling she had not felt for a long time. "All units, evacuate the mine immediately!"<p>

As she spoke, she felt tremors from down below. Without looking down, she turned back towards her tunnel. As she rammed her foot on the accelerator, she cringed as she began to hear the sound she most dreaded.

The dying screams of her comrades.

Old electric lights, already at the end of their lifespans, went out first. The darkness that ensued was only slightly ameliorated by the sunlight at the end of the tunnel entrances. However, that was only for the lucky ones who managed to retreat to a tunnel. Others were trapped in the black pit that had once been a terrorist base.

Rickety wooden supports, long abandoned, began to buckle and snap like twigs. With them fell the very roof of the mountain, twisting the mine inside out. Those who weren't fast enough fell next, trapped by large blocks of stone larger than any Knightmare. Some Sutherlands lost their landspinners to stray rocks, causing them to fall and crash. For those who survived, the sunlight at the end of the tunnels beckoned.

Finally, a few extremely skilled - or lucky - Knights, such as Cornelia, grew close to the tunnel entrances. It was then, when safety was almost in their grasp, that explosives at each entrance triggered. Cornelia's Gloucester just barely managed to speed past them. However, the older Sutherlands weren't quite able to achieve the same velocity.

The quickest of them got caught in the explosions at the entrance, which caused some cockpits to be automatically ejected back into the dismal, collapsing tunnels. Slightly slower were the machines that got caught in the rockslides that followed. They got battered down by boulders, quickly trapped under piles of rubble. The slowest of the 'lucky' Sutherland pilots were only able to stop, trapped by the piles of rubble blocking the entrances. If they didn't crash into more rubble, they were quickly disposed of by the collapsing tunnel, which finally caught up with them.

* * *

><p>"We're ready, Zero."<p>

Lelouch smiled, turning his eyes away from the collapsing mountain in front of him. The demolition gave Lelouch a surprising feeling of comfort. It reminded him, more than anything so far, that Zero was indeed back. The Zero who gave birth to miracles, who rose the hearts of the just, and who ruthlessly killed the corrupt.

"...Ah, Zero, whenever you're ready."

Lelouch turned back to look at Ohgi. The terrorist leader was standing next to a cheap-looking camera. _It'll do_. "I suppose it's time that I made my debut." _For the third time_. Lelouch couldn't hide his smile, so he had to lift his hands to remind himself that his mask did the hiding for him.

* * *

><p>"Princess Cornelia!"<p>

Cornelia tore her eyes away from the collapsed mountain entrance in front of her. "Guilford! Are you alright?"

To her left, a Gloucester drew closer. Kneeling the machine spoke with her Knight's voice. "Yes, Your Highness." Then the machine rose. "I should be asking you the same, Princess."

For a long while, Cornelia was silent. She looked back at the blocked tunnel entrance. A purple Sutherland arm stuck out of the rocks filling up the entrance, like a silent plea for help. "I'm gonna kill him."

Guilford was silent.

Cornelia turned back to Guilford's machine. "Guildford, tell Clovis right now to identify the enemy commander that was behind this. And if the idiot hasn't called for rescue support, remind him!"

Her commands were met with silence. After a long pause, Guilford spoke again, slightly hesitant. "Your Highness… Prince Clovis isn't responding."

Cornelia froze, then slowly turned to look back at the G-1 in the distance. _Don't tell me that the terrorists… _"Guilford, follow me!"

As Cornelia's Gloucester turned around, she began to mutter a mix of curses and prayers under her breath. _Not a single unit sounded the alarm. _"God damnit. Is there anything that Clovis's troops can do right?"

_Please be safe, little brother._

* * *

><p>"No. No… no…"<p>

Guilford didn't say anything. He couldn't.

Cornelia fell to her knees, ignoring the military officials nearby, tied up by rope and silenced by tied gags made of tattered cloth.

In front of her was a body that took up all of the Chief General's attention. Leaking from the side of its forehead was crimson blood.

"Clovis…"

Guilford bent down to pick something up. Small, thin, and silver, it looked like a small pen. Pressing a button, it began to make some sound. Guilford brought it to his ear.

As the sound died down, Guilford slowly looked over at his princess. "Princess Cornelia... you may want to hear this." He gently passed the recorder down to her ears. Cornelia barely reacted.

As Guilford held it for Cornelia, he realized that he could see tears falling down her face. Slowly, he turned his head the other way.

Cornelia slowly made sense of the words coming out of the machine held by her ear.

"The M.A.T.T. ... The Mobile Anti-Tank Turret. Barely mobile without the help of railroads, this piece of artillery was half-forgotten during the Britannian invasion due to its unreliable accuracy. What few realized is that the M.A.T.T. has firepower suitable to blow a Sutherland off the map. You may remember that the MATT was made temporarily famous for its use in what became known as Tohdoh's Miracle of Itsukushima. Does that ring a bell, Cornelia?"

Cornelia was silent, but the voice kept talking. "If you are hearing this, I suppose this means my trap was only partly successful. I would expect nothing less from the _Witch of Britannia_. However, I believe that this check. I look forward to seeing your next move."

As tears fell onto the cold floor, Cornelia's open hands changed to clenched fists. "I'll kill you, damnit!"

The voice had finally stopped, but Cornelia barely noticed.

"I'll kill you, even if it's the last thing I do!"

* * *

><p><strong>Cornelia isn't gonna take this insult lightly xD Lelouch has won the battle, but who will win the war? Sooner or later, Lelouch's risk-taking is gonna catch up with him :D<strong>

**Some may feel like Cornelia was a bit incompetent in this chap, but remember that she started out as a spectator (and she placed a ****_tad_**** too much confidence on Clovis's forces**). **Considering she had no reason to expect much from terrorists, Lelouch had the advantage in that regard.**

**I'm sorry, but I can't guarantee when's the next time I'll update :/ I'll just say that I'll try to write when I can.**


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